Tale as Old as Time
by Starchick
Summary: AU. My second Eriol x Tomoyo fic, again a 'what if Tomoyo found out prematurely just who Eriol really was' fic. Edited with chapters in right order, finally!
1. Default Chapter

This is only my second Eriol + Tomoyo fanfiction ever, so please be nice. Well, as  
you can probably guess from the title, if there was a movie that this fanfic would  
be most similar to, it would be the Disney movie 'Beauty and the Beast'. But don't  
be fooled -- it's definetly not what you think. Hope you enjoy! ^_~  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura! Believe me, if I did, Eriol and Tomoyo  
would be in love at first sight. *sighs* I'm a hopeless fanatic, aren't I?  
^^* I don't own the song "Beauty and the Beast", by Celine Dion.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~PROLOGUE~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
******Flashback******  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Sakura-chan, watch out!" cried Tomoyo in horror. She closed her eyes tight, not  
bearing to look.   
  
A few seconds later, she reopened them to see that Syaoran had saved her best  
friend from the blast. She placed a hand on her chest, sighing in relief; nothing  
less from Li Syaoran. He would never be able to live with himself if Sakura had gotten  
hurt.  
  
"Thanks, Syaoran-kun." Gratitude.  
"It was nothing. But you've got to be more careful -- I told you you should've   
stayed in bed." Reproachful concern.  
"I'm perfectly fine!" Insistence.  
"Passing out in class is perfectly fine?" Sarcasm  
  
Yes, the typical conversation for a typical night in Tomoeda with the particular   
quartet. Fighting a usually-perfectly-innocent object that had suddenly gone wild   
without explanation. Kinomoto Sakura was about to transform another Clow Card.  
  
Tomoyo taped eagerly, squealing faintly about how utterly kawaii her Sakura-chan  
was as the cinnamon-haired girl recited her chant and changed the Earthy card.  
Then she taped again as Sakura fell back -- Syaoran caught her, etc., etc. She  
sighed, feeling the slightest twinge of her heart as she watched Syaoran's never-  
ending concern over Sakura. Sakura...  
  
I'll approach them later, she decided, shutting off her videocamera and wandering  
off deeper into the forest behind King Penguin Park. Right now, she just wanted to  
take a quick walk to clear her head. She did that a lot; the others were used to it.  
  
However, her walks definetly weren't prone to ending like hers did.  
  
I know she loves him, Tomoyo thought numbly, the thought reverberating in her  
mind. She just needs to figure it out for herself -- and that'll probably happen soon.  
Unless Sakura-chan's even denser than anyone takes her for.  
  
Tomoyo had even considered telling Syaoran as much -- God knew he'd be very  
happy to hear it. But she couldn't betray her friend like that.  
  
Happiness. Something she wanted for everyone around her...except herself that  
was. Because, of course, her happiness would come when her best friend was happy.  
  
Having been lost in her thoughts as such, the violet-haired girl never noticed just  
how far into the woods she had wandered. Sakura was probably awake by now; she,  
Syaoran, and Kero-chan were most likely looking for her.  
  
Besides, all her childhood she had heard tales about the evil terror that lurked in the   
darkness. So why hadn't she listened this time?  
  
But by the time she stumbled upon THEM, it was too late.  
  
Tomoyo paused in midstep, only pulled out of the fog in her mind when she heard  
voices just up ahead. Looking around, she noticed just how far away she had gone --  
she wasn't even sure if she recognized this part of the woods. She was about to  
turn back when she suddenly got a better idea -- maybe the people up ahead could  
direct her back, so she wouldn't get lost.   
  
She turned around and was about to walk into the clearing when she suddenly   
stopped again. Finally paying attention to the conversation they were having. Of   
course, one thing had made her stop -- they had mentioned her best friend.  
  
"Sakura-san has certainly gotten stronger. If you're not careful Master, she might  
even surpass you."  
A faint laugh. "Yes, that WOULD be a problem, now, wouldn't it?"  
  
Tomoyo blinked in confusion, then peeked through the foliage of the trees. There  
were three figures cloaked in darkness, talking amongst themselves. One of them was  
animal; he looked remarkably like Cerberus, except a dark navy colour.  
  
Realization dawned on her as her eyes drifted to the tallest figure, who seemed to  
be a replica of Sakura's own guardian, Yue. Meaning...  
  
It was them. They were the ones causing all this to happen in Tomoeda. They were  
the ones forcing Sakura to change her cards, and run her energy extremely low.  
  
And as if that wasn't a big enough shock, she finally found out exactly who the third  
figure was as he turned around. Her purple eyes went huge in shock, and yes, fear.  
  
It was the new kid in class, Hiiragizawa Eriol. Tomoyo blinked and rubbed her eyes,  
expecting the image to shift and reveal the TRUE master behind all this. It couldn't  
possibly be Hiiragizawa-kun. He was one of Sakura's closest friends, and true, one of  
hers as well. And he loved Sakura. Tomoyo had never seen a bigger flirt in her life.  
  
The image stayed the same -- it was still Eriol in the large, dark hat and dark robes.  
Syaoran always had said that he didn't trust the new kid...but she never would've  
figured that the reason was because of THIS.  
  
It can't be Hiiragizawa-kun. It can't.  
  
It was. Because then, she got the third, and most important shock of the night.  
"It seems we have a guest. Good evening, Daidouji-san." It was definetly Eriol's   
voice, only she had never heard it sound so cold before. So...evil.  
  
She jumped as he said her name; he hadn't even turned around, how had he managed  
to know she was there? Tomoyo began backing away slowly, even as the other two  
figures turned to look in her direction. But then she bumped into something behind  
her. She jumped again, whirled around, and backed away in the opposite direction  
as she came nearly face to face with Hiiragizawa.  
  
They remained facing each other for a moment, Tomoyo's expression of guarded fear  
against Eriol's impassive, cold smirk. Then he spoke again.  
  
"So nice of you to join us," he remarked casually.  
Tomoyo took another step back. "How did you know I was here?" Strange, how out  
of all the questions she had in her mind, that was the one that managed to come out  
first.  
  
"Oh, I know many things, Daidouji-san," Eriol told her, still keeping his dark sapphire  
eyes fixed on her.  
"I can imagine," Tomoyo murmured, looking down, not being able to meet his gaze.  
All other thoughts had fled from her mind except getting away here and now.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Eriol demanded coldly.  
She set her jaw and looked up, slightly defiant. "It's not against the law to take a  
walk in the park, Hiiragizawa-kun," she told him quietly. "I think a better question  
would be to ask exactly what are YOU doing."  
  
His eyes darkened momentarily, and then developed a stonelike expression. "That,  
Daidouji-san, is none of your concern."  
"But it is the concern of Sakura-chan. And she needs to know about this." With that  
said, Tomoyo tried to step around him to leave. He shot out an arm, blocking her  
way.  
  
"But she won't find out," he said matter-of-factly. Tomoyo looked at him in suspicious  
fear. "Why won't she find out?" she asked slowly, quietly.  
He smirked. "Because no one will tell her," he informed her.  
Tomoyo kept the tone of her voice even. "I don't keep things from my best friend,  
Hiiragizawa-kun." A frosty edge had managed to slip out there. "Please let me pass   
by."  
  
He held his end. "I figured as much. And that's why you can't be allowed to leave."  
She was momentarily shocked, although somehow, in the back of her mind, she had  
been expecting this. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to remain calm.  
  
"Just what I said, Daidouji-san. You can't leave. Nobody can know about this. So  
you are to remain with me."  
  
Tomoyo just looked at him for a moment in incredulity and more dread. "What are you  
saying?"   
He frowned. "Oh, you're a smart girl, Daidouji-san. Don't ask stupid questions."  
  
By now, the other two creatures had come up -- they certainly weren't human. At  
least to her knowledge. They were watching Hiiragizawa in trepidation -- Tomoyo   
guessed that he was their master.  
  
"Eriol-sama, why don't you just put a memory-erasing spell on her?" asked the Yue-  
like one. It was a female-sounding voice, urging and slightly frantic. The Cerberus  
counterpart nodded in agreement to her suggestion from next to her.   
  
Eriol gave the Yue counterpart a sharp look. "You know as well as I do that wouldn't  
be a good idea," he said in a voice that commanded authority. Tomoyo didn't know  
why this surprised her, she should have been expecting absolutely anything by now.  
  
Hiiragizawa turned his gaze back on her, the evening sapphire piercing through her  
own amethyst eyes. "You'll come with me," he said in a softer voice, but just as  
commanding. "You know I can't let you leave."  
  
He was going to kidnap her. This Tomoyo had been sure of from the beginning, nearly  
as soon as the moment they had found her there. But she hadn't actually believed  
that he would actually attempt to pull it off. How on earth was he planning to get  
away with this.  
  
"I won't go anywhere with you, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said coldly, taking another step  
back from him. "I won't leave my friends and family."  
Eriol came closer and took her wrist, holding it in a firm, yet un-painful grip. "I'm sorry,  
my dear. You haven't got a choice."  
  
Then he placed a finger to her forehead. She saw a flash of blue...and then everything  
went dark.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued............  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: So how's that for a prologue? Don't worry, the next chapter'll be up soon,  
I won't leave you hanging. Please email me at starviewcom@hotmail.com  
with comments, reviews, heck, even flames, although they'll just be deleted.  
I LOVE getting feedback!  
  
And if you're reading this at Fanfiction.Net, please be a responsible reader  
and _review_. Thanks, all! ^_^  
  
  
One more note -- you see, technically Eriol IS 'the Beast'. Not in looks, of  
course (Yeah right! *drools* *_*). But his personality -- you get the idea.  
  
  
  
  
  
~Starchick 


	2. Default Chapter

Oh my gosh everyone, thank you for all the nice reviews for this story! *beams*  
People actually enjoy this! I'm so touched..*_* Then again, that was just the   
prologue...I guess the real test comes now, doesn't it? Well, the official first  
chapter here, everyone. Hope you stay with me through it, kk?   
He's got her...  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura! Nor the song by Celine Dion -- they  
both belong to absolute geniuses which I could never be. -_-  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
::Chapter One::  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Tale as old as time  
True as it can be...~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Daidouji Tomoyo sat on the bed in the large, spacious bedroom of what she now knew   
to be Hiiragizawa Eriol's manor, fuming inwardly as she remembered the events of  
the night before.   
  
She had woken up just a little after dawn, in surroundings that had baffled and  
amazed her, before she had realized what must have happened. She was in a very  
big bedroom, laying on the king-sized, extremely plush and soft bed. On the other  
side of the room there was a grand wardrobe, and the room was decorated with all  
kinds of chairs, poufes, side tables, and velvet-purple curtains, as well as a few  
paintings up around the walls.  
  
Yes, Tomoyo had certainly been surprised -- not intimidated, because her own  
bedroom at home was just about this size, and decorated just as fancily, if not with  
the same style. But she had known instantly that this was not her room.  
  
Tomoyo had been hit by several emotions at once when she'd remembered the past  
night. By that time, Hiiragizawa and what she guessed to have been his two servants  
were already wandering around outside of the bedroom. Eriol had knocked on her  
door, asking if she wanted breakfast. She had responded by shouting through the  
door that he release her immediately. He couldn't keep her imprisoned like this! Of  
course, he hadn't granted her request. Tomoyo had adamantly refused to open the  
door of the room, not trusting at all what may lay on the other side.  
  
Now it was almost late afternoon, and she was pacing around the bedroom, still  
deep in thought and shock. She couldn't believe that she was trapped inside the  
house of a person she had once actually trusted, but who was really an evil sorcerer.  
Well, could she really have seen it coming? Not that she and Hiiragizawa had ever  
been REAL friends before -- he was probably closer to Syaoran than he was to her,  
and Lord knew that said a lot.  
  
Shoot, Tomoyo berated herself angrily, why didn't I bring my cellphone along with me  
yesterday? Sakura and Syaoran always had theirs with them at school -- had she  
brought along her phone, she could have called one of them and told them exactly  
what was going on. She was sure Syaoran would've loved another excuse to hit  
Hiiragizawa Eriol. Tomoyo really should've listened when he'd said that he didn't trust  
Hiiragzawa.  
  
Her friends....Tomoyo walked over to the window and looked outside, very subdued.  
They would be worried. The only other time she had ever missed a day of school was  
when her voice had been taken by Voice card -- Sakura and Syaoran would instantly  
know that something was going on. But even they would never even think of a thing  
like this...  
  
And her mother...Daidouji Sonomi would be back from her two-week long business trip  
tonight -- she would know something was wrong immediately as well when her  
daughter didn't come home that night..  
  
Heading back over to the bed, Tomoyo sat on it, drew her knees to her chest, and  
circled her arms around them, withdrawing into herself as homesickness hit her hard.  
Was it possible to feel homesick in your very own town?   
  
Her only wish right now was that Eriol would just please let her go. She wanted to  
see her mother and her friends so badly... how could he do this to her? Tomoyo  
questioned for the umpteenth time.  
  
There was suddenly a knock at the door, and Tomoyo glanced up in surprise. Eriol  
had already left for school -- she had heard the front door slam behind him. Speaking  
of school, she had to wonder just how he was going to explain her absence, and   
just how she would keep from falling behind in class.  
  
"Daidouji-chan?"  
The voice was vaguely familiar, and wasn't Eriol's; for that reason alone did she open  
the door. And was once again shocked by what -- who -- greeted her.  
  
"Akizuki-san?" Tomoyo exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Oh...did he kidnap you,  
too?" Her mind was already running the scenario through, Akizuki Nakuru stumbling  
across Eriol's little secret in the same manner she had. Tomoyo wondered just how  
many "guests" Eriol held in the house, all the different people who must have come  
across him when he was doing evil.  
  
Nakuru looked at Tomoyo and then slowly shook her head, her light-chocolate hair  
swinging from side to side in its ponytail. She seemed strangely hesitant; so different  
from the flamboyant Nakuru that Tomoyo had experienced before.  
  
"Akizuki-san? What is it?" she asked cautiously.  
Nakuru took a step into Tomoyo's room. "Daidouji-chan...Eriol-sama didn't kidnap me,"  
she told the other girl.  
  
Tomoyo cocked her head in confusion. "But then..what...oh God," she suddenly broke  
off, her amethyst eyes widening. Nakuru had just called Hiiragizawa "Eriol-sama".  
"You're...with him, aren't you?" she demanded just barely above a whisper, taking a  
step back as her mind began putting pieces of a puzzle together. "You're the Yue-  
counterpart, right? This is your false form, just like Yue's is Tsukishiro-san."  
  
Nakuru held up her hands as a sign of peace as Tomoyo quickly began backing away  
from her. "Daidouji-chan, wait, just let me explain a few things," she pleaded. "I know  
how you must feel--"  
  
"How can you possibly know?" Tomoyo demanded, trying to keep her voice down.  
"You're the ones that did this to me. Why are you holding me prisoner? You can't do  
this!"  
  
Nakuru quickly put a hand on Tomoyo's arm, attempting to be soothing and calm her  
down. Strangely, she actually looked sympathetic as she met Tomoyo's eyes squarely.  
"Daidouji-chan, I tried to make him change his mind," she protested. "I wanted him to  
do a memory-erasing spell, so that you would simply forget what you saw."  
  
Tomoyo looked at her for a moment, then sat down on the edge of the bed. "I   
remember," she murmured, recalling the suggestion the tall long-haired figure had  
made the night before. She glanced up at Nakuru. "Why didn't he just do that? Why  
does he have to do this to me?"  
  
Nakuru winced faintly. "Daidouji-chan, Eriol-sama....it's really a bit hard to explain,  
but he DOES have your best possible well-being in mind," she said.  
Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "I'm sure," she muttered.  
  
"It's true, Daidouji-chan," Nakuru insisted. "I really wanted him to do the spell, but it  
just became clear to me this morning. Had Eriol-sama done the spell, it might have  
damaged other portions of your memory as well. It's harder to do it on non-magical  
people -- that's what almost always happens. This was really the only other choice  
he had."  
  
Tomoyo frowned. "Kidnapping me and holding me hostage?" she demanded. "There  
has to be better things to resort to than that." She kicked the bed in frustrated  
hopelessness. "I don't want to be here," she whispered.   
  
Nakuru sighed, but didn't say anything. The two just sat in silence for a little while,  
until Tomoyo spoke up, after collecting herself from her near collapse. "What exactly...  
is he to you?" she asked quietly, glancing at the older girl.  
  
Nakuru looked up. "I guess I should finally explain, like I was supposed to. You know,  
that's why Eriol-sama let me stay home from school today." She paused momentarily,  
then taking a deep breath, she began.  
  
"Well first of all, Eriol-sama IS my master. He created me, along with one other   
creature in this household."  
  
"Why are you Yue-san's counterpart?" Tomoyo wanted to know, forgetting her manners  
and accidentally cutting in. Nakuru didn't seem to mind that as much as she minded  
the question, for she paused yet again before saying, "Because Eriol-sama is the  
reincarnation of Clow Reed-sama."  
  
Tomoyo blinked, the words taking a second to register. Well, that had definetly been  
one of the least things she'd been expecting. Eriol -- Clow Reed? Actually, now that  
she thought about it, judging from Sakura-chan's and Kero's description of the  
powerful sorcerer, they WOULD look extremely similar...  
  
Nakuru examined her expression. "I take it that you already know about Clow Reed,  
the Clow Cards, and everything, right? Being so close to Sakura-san," she questioned.  
The violet haired girl nodded slowly. "Yes, I know of Clow Reed, but...for Hiiragizawa-  
kun to be him, it's nearly impossible!"  
  
Nakuru shook her head. "Not impossible. Spinel Sun and I are his guardians,   
just as Yue and Cerberus were once Clow Reed's, and now Sakura-san's."  
Tomoyo took a moment to register this, and then, "Do they know? Yue and Cerberus  
I mean. Yue does miss Clow Reed-san very much."  
  
Nakuru shook her head again in a negative. "They don't know yet. Neither do Sakura-  
san nor Xiao-Lang, Eriol-sama's descendant."  
It was slightly strange knowing that Li was actually a descendant of sorts to Eriol,  
especially seeing the way he usually acted around the blue-haired boy.  
  
Nakuru hesitated again, for what had to be the fifth time. "And that's were _you_  
come in, Daidouji-chan," she said, glancing at her.   
Tomoyo expression turned blandly stonelike as she waited for Nakuru to explain just  
WHY she had been kidnapped. By one of her classmates, no less.  
  
"They don't know....and you saw Eriol-sama last night. Sakura-san isn't supposed to  
know yet who Eriol is yet, but for sure you would have told her..so that's why you  
have to stay with us, at least until it's time for Sakura-san to find out."  
  
"Why is he doing that to her, though?" Tomoyo cried in frustration, finally voicing  
the question she'd wanted to know from the instant she'd seen Hiiragizawa through  
the trees. "Sakura-chan trusts him...and Clow Reed would never do anything to hurt  
Sakura."  
  
Nakuru bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Daidouji-chan...that's the one thing Eriol-sama strictly  
told me not to tell you -- his reason behind all this," she apologized. "You'll understand  
sometime..perhaps soon..."  
  
Tomoyo stood up from the bed, not wanting to understand anyway. "I hate him," she  
whispered, crossing her arms and glaring at the carpet, tears blurring her vision from  
what she'd just had to admit. "I've never _hated_ anyone before, but he really is very  
cruel...hurting Sakura-chan when she so obviously trust him, and keeping me trapped  
in this house....I hate him..." she broke off as she desperately fought her tears.  
  
Nakuru remained quiet as she came up behind her and rubbed her back gently. "It's  
all right for you to feel that way," was the only thing she said.   
  
Tomoyo was okay about ten minutes later, when Nakuru bounced over to the ward-  
robe. "How about you get dressed, okay?" she suggested brightly -- much more   
similar to the Akizuki Nakuru Tomoyo was familiar with. "You don't want to spend the  
whole day in your pajamas, do you?"  
  
For the first time, Tomoyo noticed that she wasn't wearing what she'd had on last  
night; she was now dressed in a simple white nightgown. She sincerely hoped that it  
had been Nakuru who had dressed her. Her face reddened in embarrasment at the  
alternative.  
  
Nakuru continued before Tomoyo even attempted to reply, tugging open the wardrobe  
doors. "Eriol-sama managed to transfer some of your clothes here by magic, but only  
the ones he's ever seen you in. The rest are from around the house. Some of them  
are even mine, my old ones! I think you'll look super cute!" She suddenly squealed as  
she began sifting through all the different clothing items. "And I get to pick out  
which one you're gonna wear!" she exclaimed. "It'll be just like playing dressup with  
dolls!"  
  
Tomoyo sweatdropped; still Akizuki-san alright. It was slightly unnerving that, even  
though Nakuru seemed to be a whole different stranger after everything she'd told  
Tomoyo, yet on the inside was still the same Akizuki-san that she'd known.  
  
Tomoyo examined her surroundings once again, feeling much more comfortable with  
Nakuru squealing in rapture in the background. Her eyes drifted to the paintings on  
the wall -- they were all varying scenes of nature, cities, and objects. Tomoyo was  
a fine enough artist herself, but the work on the walls were exquisitely done.  
  
"Who's the artist?" she wondered aloud, cutting Nakuru off in mid-rant. The long  
haired guardian followed her gaze. "You mean the paintings? That's Eriol-sama's work,"  
she said matter-of-factly.  
  
Tomoyo's eyes widened. "What? Hiiragizawa-kun did all these?" she gasped.  
Nakuru nodded in confirmation, glancing at what seemed to be a painting of Venice,  
Italy.  
"We travel a lot," she explained. "Eriol-sama doesn't paint very much, but he does  
whenever he gets inspired."  
  
Tomoyo frowned, trying to look at the drawings critically, but it didn't help that she  
didn't know much about art herself. "They are rather good," she admitted grudgingly --  
usually she didn't mind handing out compliments in the least, but it was hard to  
compliment the person who had imprisoned her. "Actually, they are very good."  
  
Nakuru beamed. "I'm sure he'd be pleased to hear you say that." At Tomoyo's rolling  
of the eyes, she added, "No, really! Eriol-sama really isn't a bad person, Daidouji-  
chan...it's mostly just a misunderstanding."  
  
Tomoyo just shrugged, opting for the no-comment approach. She glanced at Nakuru,  
who was holding an unfamiliar garment of clothing.  
"It's nothing against you, Akizuki-san," she began quietly. "But I really would prefer  
to wear something that is my own."  
  
Nakuru simply shrugged and put the outfit away. "I understand." Then she jumped up  
and down in excitement. "Ooooh, I know!" She pulled out a pink blouse with a pink  
matching skirt -- Tomoyo recognized it as the one she had worn when she had  
gotten trapped inside the school once -- she realized now that it had been Hiiragizawa-  
kun's doing.  
  
Tomoyo nodded in agreement to Nakuru's choice, and Nakuru went into a flurry of  
excitement dressing her up "just right" and tying the matching pink ribbon through her  
long, dark-violet tresses.  
  
"You look wonderful, Tomoyo-chan!" she exclaimed. "Oh, you're so cute! Just like  
Sakura-chan."  
Tomoyo shook her head slowly at the idea that she could even remotely compare to  
her best friend in the 'cuteness' department.  
  
Nakuru glanced at the clock up on the wall. "Would you like to come down now,   
Tomoyo-chan? I'm sure you're hungry; Eriol-sama will be home from school soon."  
  
Tomoyo almost would have considered it, had she not said that last thing. As it was,  
she pursed her mouth and planted herself firmly on the bed, crossing her arms. "I'm  
sorry, Akizuki-san, I really would much like to stay up here." At Nakuru's protest, she  
shook her head again. "No, I'm really fine, I'm not hungry. It's okay, you can go greet  
Hiiragizawa, but I...would really prefer NOT to see him right now."  
  
Nakuru nodded slowly with a despondant sigh. "If that's what you wish, Tomoyo-chan.  
It's okay, I understand. I suppose if someone had kidnapped ME, I wouldn't be too  
eager to see him either." She giggled with a slight sweatdrop, then shook her head.  
"But I just do hope that you will at least try to see it from his point of view eventually."  
  
Tomoyo nodded vaguely; an empty promise. Nakuru gave her one last energetic smile  
and then left, shutting the door gently behind her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"So how was school today?" Spinel Sun asked from his position on the sunny window-  
sill of the living room, as his master came in through the door.  
  
Hiiragizawa Eriol placed his backpack next to the Throne of Evil, turning to face his  
creation. "As well as can be expected," he replied in answer to Spinel. "Although   
Sakura-san DID go into a slight bind when she realized her best friend was absent   
from school today. I almost felt sorry for her."  
  
"They'll certainly realize by tonight that something is wrong," Spinel pointed out.  
Eriol just shrugged. "I'm not too worried about that," he answered flippantly, sitting  
down on the throne. There was a slight pause, then, "So has she come out of her  
room yet?"  
  
Spinel shook his tiny head. "I haven't seen her at all today," he told Eriol. "Of course,  
I can't imagine that she would be too pleased to see you anytime soon," he added,  
turning back to his book. Eriol frowned. "Come now, Spinel, you know just as well as  
I that it was the only other thing to be done."  
  
Loud thumping noises came from the stairs, and then Nakuru literally bounced into  
the room, throwing her arms around Eriol in a welcoming hug. "Eriol-sama! Hi!" She  
then turned to Spinel. "Hi Suppi-chan!"  
  
Spinel spared her a disdainful sneer before once again turning back to his book.  
Eriol turned to his moon guardian. "How is she doing?" he wanted to know, casually.  
Nakuru shrugged vaguely. "I was just with her, and...we talked. I helped her to get  
dressed, though!" At that the cheerful smile was back on her face.  
  
"Did you explain to her?" Eriol asked. Nakuru nodded in confirmation. "As best I could,  
while keeping the most important thing out," she replied, faintly accusing. "She still  
doesn't completely understand. I wouldn't try to talk to her yourself though, if I were  
you. I don't think there's anyone else in the world she'd rather see less than you."  
  
Eriol sighed. "Thanks, Ruby Moon," he muttered in annoyance. "Well, has she at least  
eaten something?"  
Nakuru sombered a little and shook her head again. "She refuses to come down."  
  
Eriol shrugged it off. "Fine, it's her life," he said nonchantly, pulling some books out  
of his backpack. He opened his homework and looked at it critically, wondering if he  
should just chant some quick spell to get it done instantly. There was a lot, and he  
had something very special planned for Sakura-san tonight.  
  
Nakuru wandered into the kitchen, and Spinel and Eriol sat in comfortable silence for  
a little while, until Spinel spoke up. "Did you bring Daidouji-san's work for her?"  
Eriol gestured to his backpack. "It's in there. You can bring it up to her," he muttered  
distractedly.  
  
Spinel grumbled something under his breath as he very reluctantly left his book and   
the comfort of the sunny windowsill and floated over to the backpack. It was a good  
thing he was exceptionally strong for someone who looked like a small, stuffed cat.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tomoyo was lying despondantly on her bed, when she heard the knock on the door.  
She sat up guardedly, eyeing the door in suspicion as she remembered the fact that  
Eriol would already be home from school. "Who is it?"  
  
A muffled voice answered from the other side of the door; it was strange, but it didn't  
sound at all like Hiiragizawa. So she opened the door, willing to face anything but him.  
  
Tomoyo made a little sound of surprise as a backpack seemed to drift into the room.  
She only realized a minute later that it was actually being carried by a navy blue  
small stuffed animal...very much like Kero-chan. She could only stare in surprise.  
  
The stuffed cat dropped the bag heavily at the foot of the bed and rested on it,  
panting. Tomoyo approached it cautiously. "Excuse me?" she asked timidly.   
  
The stuffed animal glanced up at her in surprise, then floated up to her. "I apologize,  
Daidouji-san, where are my manners? We haven't been introduced yet. I'm Spinel  
Sun, Eriol-sama's sun guardian."  
  
He held out his tiny paw, and Tomoyo stared at it for a moment before a small smile  
of amusement came over her face. She shook his paw with her thumb and forefinger.  
"Daidouji Tomoyo," she replied. "Are you Kero-chan's counterpart?"   
  
Spinel nodded. "In a sense," he answered. "Ruby Moon explained it all to you, didn't  
she?"   
Tomoyo nodded, coming to the conclusion that Ruby Moon was Nakuru. "So her real  
form's name is Ruby Moon?" she asked.  
  
"That's right," Spinel told her. "And technically, 'she' is not really a 'her'. Eriol-sama  
made us genderless, as Clow Reed did to Cerberus and Yue. That idiot just likes to  
crossdress."  
  
Tomoyo laughed faintly. "I see," she murmured.  
Spinel gestured to the backpack he had just lugged into her room. "That is Eriol-sama's  
backpack," he explained. "He brought the work you were supposed to do in school  
today for you."  
  
She blinked in surprise at the words; so this was how he was planning to keep her   
from falling behind in class? It must have been awfully heavy to carry both loads of  
schoolwork all the way here from the school. Then she shrugged off the thought; it  
was his own fault anyway, he could deal with it.  
  
"I can't believe he can really get away with this," she murmured quietly, then turned  
to the backpack and pulling out the schoolwork before Spinel had the chance to   
comment. She laid the work across the bed, pulled out a pencil, and proceeded to  
work. Spinel was on his way out the door when he heard her give a small sigh of  
frustration.  
  
He turned to her. "What's wrong?"  
She glanced up at him, as if surprised he was still there. "How does he want me to  
understand any of this?" she demanded, close to a furious outburst from everything  
that had been building up all day. "I wasn't in class today to hear the lecture."  
  
Spinel watched her for a moment before he flew up, pausing right next to her head  
as she bent back over the books again. "I can help you," he offered hesitantly.  
Tomoyo stared at him, shocked by his offer. Then she cocked her head. "But...are  
you good with this kind of thing? I mean," she added hastily. "I don't mean to be rude  
at all, but Kero-chan has tried to 'help' Sakura-chan with her homework on a few  
different occasions, and has usually simply managed to make her fail.."  
  
Spinel snorted. "I am not at all like that idiot," he scoffed. "Well, physically, in a sense,  
I am; we are both animal sun guardians. But Eriol-sama made me different from   
Cerberus. I have a brilliant mind." He pointed to the section about the battle between  
Japan and Hong Kong during World War 2. "Such as this. The Japanese won that  
battle."  
  
Tomoyo skimmed back through the section in the textbook, then gasped at Spinel.  
"That's right," she exclaimed, amazed. Spinel gave the faintest hint of a smile. "If you   
like, Daidouji-san, I could tutor you with your schoolwork while you're here."  
  
She smiled at him, a real happy smile, the first she had given off in this house. "Thank  
you very much, Spinel-san. I would like that a lot."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Eriol knocked on Tomoyo's door in annoyance later that evening, after Spinel had   
informed him that she "had more desire to have dinner with a centipede than with him".  
Both Nakuru and Spinel were at his back, watching the scene in tense anticipation.  
  
"Daidouji-san, this is getting ridiculous," he called through the closed doorway. "You  
haven't eaten anything at all today."  
"This has been ridiculous for a long time, Hiiragizawa!" she shouted back through the  
wall. "And for the last time, I'm not hungry! And I don't want to have dinner with you!"  
  
She was grating on his nerves. "I don't care if you don't want to have dinner with me!"  
he shouted in response. "But you still have to eat something."  
"What part of 'I'm not hungry' don't you understand?" she yelled back.  
  
Eriol clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, finally fed up. And to think he had   
actually once thought her calm, down-to-earth, and agreeable to any situation.  
"Fine, I give up!" he yelled. "Do what you want; I have better things to do with my  
time then shout at a spoiled brat." He turned to his guardians, his eyes still flaming  
darkly. "Like I said, it's HER life. We've got to go." He pushed past them and headed  
down the staircase, leaving them no room to argue against following him.  
  
Nakuru and Spinel looked at each other in surprise and tenseness; they had never,  
ever seen their master shout like that. Not the ever-cool, ever-untouchable, emotion-  
free Hiiragizawa Eriol.  
  
Things were certainly getting very interesting.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was nearly midnight when Tomoyo cautiously opened her bedroom door and peeked  
out, glancing from side to side down the hallway to make sure the coast was clear.  
She had heard the front door slam twice that evening: much earlier, when Hiiragizawa  
had gone out -- for sure to do more harm to her poor Sakura-chan, and then later  
after that, about two hours ago, when he had come back.  
  
The entire manor seemed to be eerily silent, nothing moved at all. Very carefully,  
Tomoyo crept out of her room, closing the door very quietly behind her. Then she  
glanced up and down the hall, searching for the stairs. She was a bit afraid -- this  
house was a bit bigger than her own, and very unfamiliar. She would get lost if she  
wasn't super careful.   
  
Really, she didn't even know why she was doing this. After all, couldn't she simply   
wait until breakfast tomorrow morning to eat? Yes, she had started feeling a little  
hungry. Well -- very hungry. Her stomach had actually started growling about an hour  
ago.   
  
After moving down the hallway slightly, she found the wide, sweeping stairs, and  
carefully descended them to the next floor. According to Spinel, the kitchen was right  
below her bedroom, so if she calculated her way carefully...  
  
Ever cautious not to make a sound, Tomoyo tiptoed carefully in the direction of the  
kitchen. She was being extremely silent -- two years of sneaking out of her house at  
night to film Sakura-chan's bravery had made her an expert.  
  
She found the kitchen with extreme ease. She had fully been intending to make   
herself a quick, small snack....so naturally her surprise was immense when she was  
greeted with a meal already set up on the table, complete with Eriol's ever-teasing  
smirk.  
  
"So it seems the princess finally got hungry," he drawled. "Well, that's good -- at least  
I know you aren't going to develop anorexia."  
  
Tomoyo got over her initial shock after a minute of simply staring at him, completely  
taken aback. "Hiiragizawa-kun," she said, her voice only the slightest bit shaky. "What  
are you doing here? How did you know...?"  
  
His smirk widened slightly. "What else would I be doing here, Daidouji-san? It's my   
house. And as for your second question, I know that nobody can go so long without  
eating, unless they've had experience." He paused, studying her. "And my dear   
Daidouji-san, I sincerely doubt you've ever had the experience."  
  
She glared at him, slightly surprised with herself. Glaring was not an expression that  
her face was used to -- she couldn't remember the last time she had done so. "I'm  
going back to bed, Hiiragizawa," she stated flatly, turning around and ready to stalk  
out of the kitchen. "I want nothing to do with you."  
  
He was somehow behind her before she could even get two steps, grabbing her   
shoulders and turning her around back to the kitchen table. All this done surprisingly  
gently. "I don't want you to starve, Daidouji-san," he said. "And I don't want to have  
to hurt you to get you to eat either. If you would prefer that I leave, then I'll go,   
that's fine."  
  
Tomoyo refused to let her surprise at his speech reflect in her expression -- she   
seemed to have been surprised a lot during that day. "Shouldn't you be out causing  
more grief to Sakura-chan?" she demanded, her voice surprisingly biting.  
  
If her tone affected Hiiragizawa, he didn't show it. "No. Already done earlier this  
evening."  
Tomoyo tried to conceal her fuming, and her incredible urge to hit him hard. Apparently,  
the look in her eyes said enough as a reply to his statement, because he simply  
smirked again, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling.  
  
"You are very protective of Sakura-san, aren't you?" he mused quietly. "Sometimes I  
wonder if you perhaps care too much for your own good? Because you know, since  
you are staying here now, you can always join my side if you wish."  
  
Tomoyo couldn't stop herself. She had already slapped him hard across the face before  
she even had the faintest clue of what was going on, though she doubted that it  
hurt him much. Still, he fingered his cheek, which was now bright red on his pale skin  
from the impact. He looked at her calculating, taking in her own red cheeks, bright  
with anger, and her purple eyes flashing with an enraged fire. His own eyes were  
quickly darkening to a darker, more dangerous navy colour. Any other person would  
have been frightened. Oh, but not her. Because she was already too deep into her  
furious passion that she knew she would fight him vigourosly if he tried to hurt her.  
  
"Sakura-chan is my best friend," she said in a very low voice, through gritted teeth.  
"My VERY best friend. My sister. Don't you dare question my loyalty to her." She   
closed her eyes and took several calming breaths, now fighting the urge to grab the  
knife from the kitchen table and lunge at him with it. What was happening to her?   
She was a little afraid; she had never thought so violently before, much less act upon  
it. Then again, she had never met anyone who had crossed her this way.  
  
"Let me go," she insisted, proud that her voice was now even. "I'm going back to bed."  
Tomoyo tried to push past him.  
The fire disappeared from Eriol's eyes, and he quickly shot out an arm to stop her,   
much in the same way he had the night before. Tomoyo shuddered faintly at the   
memory.  
  
"You're still hungry -- I don't think that has changed," he said in a tone just as flat.  
"You stay down here and eat; I'll leave now." Without another word, he sauntered  
out of the kitchen.  
  
Tomoyo didn't turn around to watch him leave; rather, she kept her back turned to  
him until she actually felt him go out. Inside, she was still simmering at the nerve of  
him. Asking her to join him, to hurt SAKURA, of all people. Oh, if only she could escape  
from this place, then she could warn Sakura about Hiiragizawa...at that moment, she  
wanted nothing more than having Hiiragizawa Eriol out of her life.  
  
Yet, she admitted to herself, grudgingly once again, it was a bit sweet on his part to  
make some sort of supper for her despite how late it already was. She tried a bit of  
the rice; she had to also admit that he was a good cook.  
  
Tomoyo wondered if she would EVER figure Hiiragizawa out. And if she even wanted to  
anymore.  
  
And just outside the kitchen, Eriol smirked to himself as he headed back to his  
room, still rubbing his cheek where the amethyst eyed girl had slapped him. It seemed  
he had done the impossible. Not very many people managed to push all of Daidouji  
Tomoyo's buttons. He had to wonder if it was such a good thing, as he recalled the  
image of her clenched fists, her fiery red cheeks, so different from the usual tranquil  
paleness of her face. Her eyes flashing stormily and radioactively, a deeper, royal   
purple. He had half-expected lightning bolts to come shooting out of her eyes at him.  
  
And it was strange that, only when Daidouji-san was extremely furious with him, had  
he noticed just how pretty she really was.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was late morning/early afternoon -- this time both Nakuru and Hiiragizawa were at  
school. And Tomoyo was once again left home, seemingly alone. She didn't know   
where Spinel spent his days.   
  
For sure people would definetly notice now that something was most certainly wrong  
now. She hadn't gone home last night. She had never ever missed two days of school   
in a row, yet here she was now doing just that.   
  
But really, she wanted to be at school now so badly, to see Sakura and Li-kun, as  
well as Chiharu and the rest...she even missed Yamazaki's lies.   
  
Tomoyo crept downstairs again, sure that the house was silent. Since she was home  
alone now, and at least knew her way to the front door, she was going to try and  
escape. Eriol would never know until it was too late, would he?  
  
Getting to the front door, she reached out for the doorknob, prepared to yank open  
the door and run...and her hand was suddenly repelled off of SOMETHING, and it  
was painful. She sharply pulled back her hand and shook it slightly, it was stung and  
tingling uncomfortably.   
  
She stared at the door in shock -- it seemed perfectly fine. There was nothing there.  
Tentatively, she reached out for the doorknob again...and same thing. This time, she  
jumped back, the pain even more intense than before.  
  
"I wouldn't keep doing that if I were you," said a voice at her back. Tomoyo whirled  
around to see Spinel Sun seated on the windowsill with a book, watching her calmly.  
"It's a magical barrier," he answered her unspoken question. "And it's designed to hurt  
more each time you touch it."  
  
Tomoyo placed her face in her hands sighed in frustration and defeat. Spinel got up  
off the windowsill and floated over to her. Hesitating for only a moment, he carefully  
reached out to pat her on the head with his small paw, as a type of comfort.  
  
"I know it must seem very hard for you," he began. "And I know that you probably hate  
Eriol-sama with a passion now. That's alright; you're allowed to feel that. Even if we  
are his creations, neither Ruby Moon nor I hold it against you."  
  
"Why can't he just let me go?" she murmured, her voice coming out muffled. "So he  
has magic -- that's not such a big deal. Sakura-chan has magic. Li-kun has magic.  
Even Mizuki-sensei had magic. Sakura-chan would understand, she wouldn't hold it  
against him."  
  
Spinel sighed. "I'm sorry, Daidouji-san..it's not my place to tell you, or you would know  
instantly. But all I ask is that you give this just a chance. You're going to be stuck  
here for a while. I'm not saying you should try to warm up to Eriol-sama," he added  
hastily as Tomoyo shot her head up and stared at him in protest. "But at least just...  
deal with him. He makes mistakes, but he isn't a bad person."  
  
Tomoyo sighed, remained quiet for a minute, then glanced up at Spinel. "You and  
Akizuki-san have been so kind to me...I guess he must have done SOMETHING right."  
She paused, then nodded. "Okay," she agreed slowly. "We're far from being friends,  
but...I suppose I can TRY to trust him."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.............  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: There it is. So how'd I do for a first chapter? Once again, please email me at  
starviewcom@hotmail.com, or if reading this at ff.net, please leave a review,  
because I ADORE feedback, and that's what keeps me going. ^_^  
  
Eriol's still being bad...what's going to happen next? Here's a hint: think of   
the next line in the song 'Beauty and the Beast' ^_~ By the way, you really  
have to hear the version by Celine Dion to get the full grasp of this fanfic...  
it's such a great song, and that's where my inspiratiion came from. 


	3. Default Chapter

Here's the second chapter, everyone! And once again, I want to thank all my reviewers  
for actually commenting on my story, it means a LOT to me ^_^ I'm so glad you think  
I should continue this! Hopefully, this chapter will keep making you think that way, but  
I don't know...judge for yourself, kk?   
  
  
Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Card Captor Sakura or Celine Dion's 'Beauty and the Beast'.  
But I also don't own either Savage Garden's 'You Can Still Be Free', nor  
Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'.  
  
  
LOL, that should give you SOME hint of what this chapter's gonna be about, hmm?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
::Chapter Two::  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Barely even friends  
Then somebody bends  
Unexpectedly...~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I've been here a week, Tomoyo realized numbly as she once again sat on her bed in  
the confines of her room. It was true -- it had been a week since she had first been  
kidnapped, a week cut off from her friends, her mother, her life....even the rest of the  
world. It had been a while since she'd been outside.  
  
She missed them so much. She missed her old life, she missed Sakura-chan...oh, did  
she ever miss Sakura-chan. All she wanted to do was see her again, her best friend.  
  
On the main floor of the manor, Tomoyo heard the front door slam, startling her out  
of her moment of homesickness. She stiffened and glanced at the clock -- Hiiragizawa  
was home. She heard the trill of Nakuru's voice downstairs, and then Eriol's usual  
much-more-subdued murmur.  
  
Footsteps began pounding up the stairs, and a few seconds later Nakuru burst into  
her room without knocking. "Tomoyo-chaaaann!" she shrilled, pouncing on the other  
girl exuberantly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Downstairs, both Spinel and Eriol heard the THUMP as both girls on the upper floor  
were knocked to the ground by Nakuru's force. After glancing at the ceiling for a   
moment, Spinel sighed and stretched his small wings before taking off into the air. "I  
suppose I better go save Daidouji-san from that idiot before she kills her or something."  
  
Eriol watched with a half-smile as his sun creation flew over to his backpack, lifted it  
up by the straps, and began to ascend the stairs with it. Daidouji liked to get her  
homework done as soon as possible right after school, and it was always Spinel who  
would tutor her with it. Nakuru had also gotten close to Daidouji Tomoyo, claiming  
that it was because she finally had another girl in the house to talk to. Even if that  
girl wasn't exactly here WILLINGLY...and never let him forget it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Akizuki-san, you just saw me this morning," Tomoyo protested weakly through the  
stranglehold Nakuru had on her. The brown-haired guardian laughed. "But I still MISSED  
you, Tomoyo-chan!"  
  
"Ruby Moon, put the poor girl down," Spinel said archly as he entered the room. "You  
don't want to make her throw up her lunch now, do you? It was hard enough actually  
getting her to eat it."  
  
That was the truth -- though Tomoyo had tried her best to feel more at ease around  
the manor, she just couldn't..her homesickness, the fact that she was here against  
her will just blocked her from enjoying the actual place. Which was a shame, because  
it was an otherwise beautiful house. What she had seen of it anyway -- she still  
refused whenever Nakuru or Spinel attempted to coax her into a grand tour of the  
place.  
  
And as for Hiiragizawa, she had rarely seen him since that night in the kitchen when  
she'd hit him. That was because she usually stayed in her room and opened the door  
to anyone that wasn't him. Yes, she was still furious. He HAD kidnapped her, after all.  
  
"Come, Daidouji-san, Eriol-sama brought the work. I'll help you," informed Spinel as  
Nakuru very reluctantly let go of the purple eyed girl, rolling her own eyes at Spinel's  
scholarly tone. Then she brightened. "I know!" she exclaimed. "Tomoyo-chan, after  
you're done, can I please take you on a tour of this place?" She looked at Tomoyo  
pleadingly, who hesitated, and then shook her head.  
  
"I'd rather not, Akizuki-san," she murmured. Spinel frowned at his companion. "She still   
doesn't feel comfortable here, Ruby Moon," he pointed out in irritance. Nakuru pouted,  
but agreed to Tomoyo's wish.  
  
"Well, can you at least do me one favor, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked instead. Tomoyo  
shrugged. "What is it?"  
"Stop calling me Akizuki-san!" she declared. "It's not right that I call you Tomoyo-chan  
and you still call me by my last name. Pretty please, Tomoyo-chan?" Now she turned  
big, cocoa puppy eyes on Tomoyo.  
  
Tomoyo didn't see what the problem was, because that was Nakuru's same situation   
with Kinomoto Touya, but she agreed anyway. "Alright...Nakuru-san."  
Nakuru beamed, and enveloped the younger girl into a tight hug, before bounding out  
of the room. "I'm going to see Eriol-sama," she called. "And then I'm going to help  
make supper tonight!"  
  
Spinel only shook his head despondantly. "Better have Eriol call the hospital and put  
them on standby," he muttered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was once again nearly the middle of the night when Tomoyo snuck out of her room  
and slipped out into the hallway, and down the stairs. She had to admit, Nakuru had  
finally piqued her curiousity to the point of unbearability. She was entirely too curious  
for her own good. So she had decided to go on a late night tour of her own around  
the manor. Of course, she wasn't going to tour the whole thing. She was just planning  
to start on the floor which the kitchen.  
  
Once again, Tomoyo found the kitchen without a problem, and began from there. The  
kitchen was directly attached to a large, lavish dining room, which she had failed to  
notice a week ago; the only other time she had been down here. And then, across   
from the dining room was the living room, larger than any of the other rooms she had  
seen in the house. Tomoyo was surprised to see a grand piano in there, but then  
realized a moment later that she shouldn't be. She knew that Eriol played the piano.  
  
Wandering a bit farther down the hallway, she came across another door, pushing it  
open to reveal what seemed to be a large, somewhat empty room. Upon closer   
inspection, however, when she stepped inside curiously, shutting the door behind her,  
she realized that it was really a ballroom. There was a piano in here, too, as well as a  
large dancing floor, tables and chairs, and against the far wall, shelves of records and  
cds.   
  
Amazed, Tomoyo approached the cd shelves. Wow, he has to have every cd ever  
created, she thought in astonishment, looking around at the big, tall shelves stacked  
with cds. She began scanning through them the best she could, meaning the ones at  
the bottoms, because the shelves towered high above her head.   
  
Interestingly, he had a lot of cds that she was familiar with...and those included ones  
that were at least nineteenth century old. It was almost eerie, to see how alike their  
tastes were.   
  
He also had some of her favourite to-date music, and some that she even recognized  
through her private dance classes. Pulling out a single cd from the third shelf, she  
glanced at the cover -- Savage Garden. Her eyes widened in the semi-dark room. One  
of the songs on this cd was the one she had been working on a dance movement for,   
just a few months ago with her private dance instructor...the homesickness washed   
over her again.  
  
Casting her gaze around the room, she soon found the huge stereo player to the side.  
Making sure the volume was turned very low as to not disturb anyone, she placed in  
the Savage Garden cd and tuned it to the song 'You Can Still Be Free'. As the tune  
began, she had to bite down on her lip to keep from bursting into tears.  
  
  
~Cool breeze and autumn leaves  
Slow motion daylight..~  
  
  
Tears threatened to spring to Tomoyo's eyes as she heard the familiar tune, and the  
memory of moving to the music in her own ballroom at home while her dance teacher  
praised her surfaced.   
  
She wanted to go home so badly...  
  
  
~A lone pair of watchful eyes  
Oversee the living..~  
  
  
She remembered how this had been one of her favourite pieces to dance to. Tomoyo  
took many levels of dancing, but this song had been for one of her mixtures -- ballet,  
jazz, and...she forgot just what the other one had been.  
  
She ran over the dance in her mind; she had done it so many times it was firmly   
implanted in her head.  
  
Then she got a slightly crazy idea...  
  
  
~Feel the presence all around  
The tortured soul, a wound unhealing..~  
  
  
Before she really had an idea of what she was doing, she had already stood up and  
was dancing the part that went along with those particular lines of the song. Then  
she suddenly froze, feeling slightly embarrased. But then...why not? she thought. It  
was a BALLROOM after all -- people were supposed to dance in ballrooms, were they  
not? And besides, there was no one around...also, it might help her to stave off the  
homesickness..  
  
  
~No regrets or promises  
The past is gone  
But you can still be free..~  
  
  
It was a pure act of daring and impulsiveness on her own part, but Tomoyo found  
herself moving to the music in the dance that she was so familiar with...one of her  
favourites. And she was right. It did help a little...  
  
  
~If time will set you free..~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hiiragizawa Eriol approached the ballroom with a raised eyebrow, hearing the music   
that was playing in there with his keen hearing. He knew he had heard a noise down  
here, it was the entire reason he was up at this time anyway. And though he rarely  
ever got extremely tired, he was a little tired now; Sakura-san was getting stronger  
for sure.   
  
At first he thought it had been Nakuru who had woken him up with the noise he had  
heard, someone going down the stairs. Spinel never woke up during the nights to go  
for a midnight stroll, but it was occasionally characteristic of Ruby Moon to do so.  
  
However, Ruby Moon certainly wasn't prone to sitting in the ballroom and playing music  
in the middle of the night, although she DID adore Savage Garden. Nor was she able  
to move around that quietly -- that was the first thing that had struck Eriol as odd,  
the silence with which the person was moving around down here.  
  
So she decided to take the grand tour, after all, Eriol mused as he stopped in front   
of the ballroom doors. Daidouji-san was very strange sometimes -- if she had wanted  
to tour the place, why hadn't she simply asked Nakuru during the day? Or even if she  
hadn't wanted him to know that she wanted a tour, she could have gone exploring  
with or without Spinel when he was at school.  
  
  
~Time now to spread your wings  
To take to flight  
The life endeavor..~  
  
  
He was about to just march in through the doors and demand what she was doing when  
he actually stopped and listened to the song which she was playing. The only song  
he thought was really good by Savage Garden; it was really Nakuru's cd which he had  
bought for her.   
  
He cracked open the door just a notch, but he still expected Tomoyo to turn around  
and ask him what he was doing there. Daidouji was extremely perceptive, and could  
also hear the slightest sounds. So that was why he was momentarily surprised when  
no tirade flew at him; he peeked in to see just what could be holding her attention  
so deeply.  
  
  
~Aim for the burning sun  
Get trapped inside  
But you can still be free  
If time will set you free..~  
  
  
Eriol was struck, only being able to watch in awe, his sapphire eyes widened.  
  
  
~But it's a long long way to go..~  
  
  
It was as if Daidouji-san had transformed into an elegant, ethereal, and earthly wild  
spirit as she moved around the ballroom to the song that was playing, with practiced  
ease and calculation. It was almost mythical...she didn't look real at all. Maybe it  
was the way the moonbeams from the clear windows caught her sweeping white  
nightgown, or the way it shone in her midnight-violet hair.   
  
  
~Keep moving way up high  
You see the light  
It shines forever..~  
  
  
The music picked up the pace and intensified, and so did her dancing as she moved  
around the ballroom in a series of glissades, tendus, fouettes, jetes, sissones, pas  
de chats, and various other professional dancing movements. She was so graceful  
and poised, and yet seemed very delicate and fragile at the same time, as if she  
might disintegrate if the wind so much as blew in the wrong direction. She was  
almost better than other professional dancers he had seen, in both his two lives.  
  
  
~Sail through the crimson skies  
The purest light  
The light that sets you free..~  
  
  
He recognized her form of dancing as a mixture of ballet and impressionism -- designed  
to express what the dancer was feeling. And although it was beautiful...it was the  
most heartwrenching thing he had ever seen. Her dancing portrayed the picture of  
infinite sadness and longing...he knew where that had come from. He knew she was  
homesick, and just wanted to see her friends and family again...  
  
  
~If time will set you free..~  
  
  
Eriol was incredibly glad that it was too dark to clearly see the expression on her  
face, the dance told enough. And deep, deep inside him somewhere, something  
melted as his resolve slightly began to falter.  
  
  
~Sail through the wind and rain tonight  
You're free to fly tonight  
And you can still be free..~  
  
  
It was amazing, he was awestruck as he watched Tomoyo drift around the ballroom,  
nearly floating as she danced so comfortably, almost as if it came naturally to her,  
as naturally as singing did. Her eyes alternated between being closed in concentration,  
and opened with a dreamy look, obviously lost in another time and place. And he felt  
a strange, uncomfortable twinge in his chest as the light through the window shone  
on her face...and revealed the tears glistening in her eyes.  
  
  
~If time will set you free  
And going higher than mountain tops  
(Free to fly tonight)   
And go high like the wind don't stop  
And go high  
Free to fly tonight..~  
  
  
The movement was very captivating and so realistic. As the music slowed down, she  
seemed to crumple slowly to the ground, and he was about to rush in alarmed, sure  
that she had hurt herself, when he realized that it was just a part of her dance.  
  
The song ended, and Tomoyo stood up from the ground, looking around as if just   
realizing where she really was. Then she walked over to the stereo and pressed the  
'Stop' button.  
  
Eriol backed away from the door and quickly disappeared to his room; like he'd said,  
Daidouji was very perceptive. She would have felt him instinctively if he had stayed.  
But once in his room, deciding to leave Tomoyo to her own devices, he couldn't get  
back to sleep, the image of her dance running through his mind once again. It had  
been so amazing, yet so sad...and in that private moment of hers, he had suddenly  
seen the real Daidouji Tomoyo come out. Of course, Tomoyo had always been a  
very sweet and kind person -- though he would hardly be able to tell from the cold  
glares she had been giving him --, but from the moment he'd first met her, he'd   
known that she was the type of person who tended to hide their real selves away.  
  
He knew that she was a very good singer, but he'd never had any idea that she  
could also dance so well, and for that he began feeling the slightest hint of admiration  
for her. But then, there were a lot of things he didn't know about Daidouji Tomoyo.  
  
She was homesick, he realized, looking up at his dark ceiling, as he remembered the  
name of the song Tomoyo had been dancing to. 'You Can Still Be Free'.  
  
But really, Eriol reminded himself, there's nothing I can do about that.  
Still, he couldn't help but feel sorry for his purple eyed prisoner.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Amazingly enough, the next day passed quickly for Tomoyo. She spent most of it in  
the living room, sitting in a chair next to the windowsill and talking to Spinel as he  
read his book. Maybe that's why time seemed to go by so fast; he was actually  
quite pleasant to talk to. It was amazing how human he could seem, even though   
he obviously wasn't one. For some reason, Kero-chan had never struck her as HUMAN   
-- he'd always just been a cute, talking-toy friend.  
  
"You and Kero-chan are very different from each other," she observed aloud. "And  
Nakuru-san is very different from Yue-san as well."  
"Of course," Spinel replied indifferently. "Because we're not them. We were made like  
them, but we are not them."  
  
Tomoyo leaned over toward the windowsill. "What are you reading?"  
"It's a factual book about Winchester," he told her. "It's very interesting."  
"I can imagine," she said, a slightly teasing note entering her voice before she could  
catch it. It was the slightest bit disturbing that she was feeling so comfortable with  
Spinel -- she didn't have anything against him, but still, she was being held here   
against her will.  
  
Spinel sensed her uncertainty. "You know, Daidouji-san...it's not a crime to start  
feeling comfortable in this place. Even if you didn't choose to be here, nobody here  
is going to hurt you."  
  
I'm not so sure about Hiiragizawa, she thought bitterly in her mind. He seems to have  
no problem with hurting Sakura-chan when she trusts him. But on the outside, she  
remained silent, twisting one of her loose violet pigtails around her finger as she looked  
down.  
  
She couldn't actually be feeling comfortable here, could she? Of course not.  
  
Tomoyo escaped to her room when Spinel mentioned that Eriol and Nakuru were  
on their way back from school.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was now late in the night again, not as late as the night before, but it was still  
very dark outside. And Tomoyo couldn't sleep at all. So she was just lying on her  
bed when she heard the haunting piano music coming from the floor below.  
  
Once again, curiousity struck her and she snuck out of her room and down the hall  
to the lower floor. The sound was coming from the living room; recalling the memory  
of her late night walk the night before, she found her way there, stopping just outside  
as she peeked into the spacious room -- there was no doorway seperating the room  
from the hallway.  
  
Eriol was seated at the grand piano, playing a lovely classical piece that Tomoyo  
recognized to be the Moonlight Sonata -- her absolute favourite classical piano piece.  
Again she was struck by the similar tastes she and Hiiragizawa seemed to share.  
  
And he was playing it beautiful, better than some of the versions she had heard. Before  
she could stop herself, Tomoyo had already ventured cautiously into the room,   
keeping in the shadows and leaning against pieces of furniture as she listened to him  
play. She wasn't sure if she had just imagined it when he'd seemed to glance right up  
at her for the briefest of seconds, but she figured she had when he simply turned his  
gaze back down to the keys.  
  
Tomoyo was also struck by how different he seemed when playing the piano this way;  
immersed in it completely, his expression a mixture of concentration and tranquility  
which made him seem so different compared to the ever-cool expression she always  
saw on him lately -- whenever she did see him, that was. It was also different than  
the calm smiles he had always worn at school -- which she had now chalked up to as  
being completely fake.  
  
And then he stopped, and removing his hands from the piano, he gave her a smile. Or  
a smirk, one of those two. "Hello, Daidouji-san."  
Tomoyo stepped out from the shadows, approaching him slowly. "That was very   
good." The struggle it took to admit that was evident in her voice, and Eriol's smile  
definetly turned into a smirk.  
  
"Was that a compliment? I'm honoured, Daidouji-san," he gasped mockingly, opening  
his eyes wide.  
Tomoyo chose to ignore this, since she didn't want to slap him across the face again.  
Because really, despite the fact that he was her enemy, he was evil, and he was   
holding her hostage...he certainly was being a very nice host. At times.  
  
She stepped up to the piano, running a hand delicately over the smooth finish. "You  
enjoy playing piano," she stated.  
Eriol watched her for a moment, then turned to the piano. "Well, certainly," he pointed  
out.  
"You're very good at it," she told him -- her second compliment in less than five   
minutes.  
  
Eriol nodded, still looking at the piano. "It helps me to express myself. Whenever I  
have a problem, it's nice to just sit down and do something that I'm good at and   
enjoy very much, and I don't feel so terrible afterwards." He paused, waiting for her  
to make the biting retort, such as, "I suppose causing harm to Sakura-chan helps too."  
  
He was surprised when it didn't come; in truth, she was surprised herself to hear that  
the ever-evil reincarnation of Clow Reed could have problems just like she could. Was  
that possible?  
  
"Yes, I have problems as well, Daidouji-san," he said in response to her unspoken  
question. Tomoyo frowned, and he smirked as he saw realization on her face that he  
could read her mind.  
  
"Don't worry, Daidouji-san, I didn't have to read your mind to find out what you were  
thinking," he told her. "It was all over your face." He gestured toward the piano again,  
changing the subject before they got into another "disagreement".  
  
"But it's not hard at all -- in fact, the piano is one of the easiest instruments to learn  
how to play."  
"Really?"   
"Yes."  
  
There was a moment of silence again, until he heard and felt her sit down on the  
piano bench next to him. She looked up at him. "Teach me."  
Eriol blinked. "You want me to teach you? Now?" he asked, startled.  
  
Tomoyo hesitated, then nodded, forcing herself to keep her eyes on him. "The   
Moonlight Sonata you played was wonderful. It's one of my favourite songs. I want  
to be able to play it myself too." She lowered her eyes finally in faint embarrasment, not   
being able to keep them on him. "Unless you don't want to--"  
  
Eriol got over his initial shock and gave a wry smile. "I don't think a beginner is ready  
for that," he told her. Then after a moment's hesitation, added, "But I can teach you   
the basics first."  
Tomoyo smiled herself, the first one she had given him since he kidnapped her. He  
found himself noticing that, just like Sakura, Tomoyo was better with a smile.  
  
Even prettier than she was when she was furious, come to think of it.  
  
She clapped her hands and turned to face him squarely. "Okay, I'm ready. What do  
I do?"  
"Well first, you've got to get your hands on the piano," he pointed out in faint sarcasm.  
He took her hands from her lap and placed them on the ivory keys, suddenly noticing  
her scent. Like lavender and vanilla...  
  
Tomoyo herself was feeling a little uncomfortable herself with his nearness to her,  
and tried to concentrate on what he was saying. The tiny sensible part of her couldn't  
quite believe what she was doing.  
  
Eriol taught her the names of the keys on the piano, and how to recognize the different  
sounds they made. Tomoyo got it all in just a few minutes, and he smiled when she  
told him so.  
"Can you tell me what key the Moonlight Sonata is played in?" he asked her.  
  
Tomoyo furrowed her brow as she thought hard about her favourite piece by Beethoven.  
Then her face lit up and she turned to him in triumph. "C sharp minor!" she said.  
Eriol smiled. "Very good, Daidouji-san." He took her hands again. "Now let's see if you  
can try to play it."  
  
With Eriol as her guide, Tomoyo got through the first few bars of the song. Of course,  
it was nowhere near as well as the way Hiiragizawa had played it, but Tomoyo still  
felt proud and happy as she heard a similar echo of the sonata come from her fingers  
against the ivories. And though she wasn't able to tell because he hid it away so well,   
Eriol himself was secretly proud of her too.  
  
Maybe things weren't going to be so terrible after all...  
  
Eriol glanced up at the hands of the clock overhead, and quickly paused Tomoyo's  
playing. "Daidouji-san, it's already almost midnight. You really should be getting to bed."  
Tomoyo blinked, coming out of the haze she had seemed to be in the entire time. It  
was then that she realized exactly what had just gone on, and she felt like screaming  
at herself. What was she thinking?! This was the same guy who was imprisoning her  
in his home. This was the boy who was hurting Sakura-chan. Tomoyo abruptly got up   
from the piano bench, not daring to look at him. "Thank you for the lesson, Hiiragizawa-  
kun," she said shortly, already making her way toward the exit.  
  
"Same time tomorrow?"  
  
Tomoyo paused at the sound of his voice, subconsciously scanning for sarcasm in  
either his tone or his face, as she turned sharply to face him, surprised. It was clean.  
  
Eriol smirked at Tomoyo's confused look. "You did want me to teach you how to play  
piano, didn't you?" he pointed out.  
Wide-eyed, Tomoyo just stared at him, momentarily speechless until something came  
to mind. She arched an eyebrow. "Don't you already have plans?" she said sharply,  
making it oh so clear that she was talking about what he did to her best friend every  
night.  
  
Eriol didn't take the bait, nor did he give any sign that the comment had affected him  
in any way. "I'm sure I can work something out," he answered coolly.  
Tomoyo crossed her arms, then gave him a small smile of her own, not sure where  
any of this was coming from. "Then I suppose I can as well," she replied, then with a  
quick nod to him, turned around and left the room quickly.  
  
Outside in the hallway, however, she leaned against the wall catching her breath. Now  
the sensible half of her was screaming at her in her mind again. What on earth had  
she been thinking? He's trying to hurt Sakura-chan. He's been lying to you and every-  
one else this whole time. He's pure evil.  
  
But was he really? A small part of her wondered. The boy she had just been with in  
the spacious living room hardly fit the standard evil villain description. Just  
in the past hour, he had been a very kind person who had offered to teach her to  
play her favourite sonata, and who had been completely patient while doing it. The  
ice had been mostly gone from his face -- it was obvious how much he loved playing   
the piano. It had been the closest they had ever been before, including the time before   
the whole kidnapping.  
  
But she couldn't become friends with him. He was holding her prisoner.  
  
It would be impossible.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.......  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay, first a few points to clear up: One, I don't know for sure if Tomoyo's really  
a dancer in the anime or in the manga, but she's always seemed like she could  
be one to me. And besides, this IS AU, right? And, Savage Garden doesn't have  
that many songs that she could dance that way too, but 'You Can Still Be Free'  
is a FANTASTIC song, and very expressive too. LOL, bet you can't tell that I like  
Savage Garden a lot. ^_~ Also, I don't know if there are different versions of  
Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata", but the one I heard was in C sharp minor, so I  
decided to use it.  
  
Uh oh, things are picking up. They're starting to learn something more about each  
other, things that go deeper than their stereotypical personalities ^_^. And it's  
only just beginning. I don't know if this series is going to be as long as I thought  
it would be....but if anyone can remember the NEXT few lines of 'Beauty and the  
Beast', then that should give you another hint of what the next chapter's gonna  
be about. Once again, please be a responsible reader and review this story, by  
emailing me at starviewcom@hotmail.com (or if at FF.Net, leave a review). And  
thanks again, everyone!  
  
  
  
~Starchick 


	4. Default Chapter

Hi again! I'm so sorry that this took such a while to come out, I was incredibly busy.   
For the people at FanFiction.Net -- thank you SO much for all your reviews! I've gotten  
almost fifty reviews...that's the highest I've gotten for any of my fanfics *_*. Thank  
you so much, as well as the people who have been emailing me and everything, and I  
hope that you all enjoy this chapter, though it may seem a bit short. But it's NOT  
pointless, although there is a lot of WAFF (hey, the movie had a lot of that, too, hmm?  
^_^). Enjoy!  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: *sobs* STILL don't own Card Captor Sakura, nor the song 'Beauty and the  
Beast', and will never come CLOSE to making anything as beautiful as these  
two things ^^*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Just a little change  
Small to say the least~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Morning in the Hiiragizawa manor again. Tomoyo woke up a bit later, around ten-thirty  
in the morning, and found the house silent; naturally, Hiiragizawa and Nakuru were  
already at school. The only other one that could be in the house was Spinel Sun.  
  
Climbing out of bed, Tomoyo dressed in a long skirt with a red sweater. Securing her  
headband in her violet-black hair, she sat down on the edge of the bed -- and for  
the first time in this house, found herself bored. She'd never had this problem before,  
although this routine was very much the same as the other days she had been here.  
Normally, she would be content to simply lie in bed and get lost in her thoughts -- she  
had always been amazed at how quickly the time seemed to go by when she did that.  
Because she'd had so much to think about, so much nostalgia to feel...  
  
...so why wasn't it happening today?  
  
Tomoyo wasn't sure, but she did know that after about an hour only, she was already  
extremely tired of her room. Maybe I can go find Spinel-san, she thought, getting up  
and heading for the door. It was nice to talk to him yesterday, I don't think he'd mind  
if I sat with him again. Maybe she could read quietly alongside him.  
  
When had she started feeling so comfortable around here? How was it that she could  
now think of reading a book with Spinel, as if she were just here on a visit, and wasn't  
being held prisoner?  
  
Tomoyo stepped out into the hallway and was about to head down the staircase when  
she suddenly paused, glancing down the other part of the upper hallway past the  
stairs. She had never been down that way before, never even considered it. Of course,  
she hadn't been in a lot of places around the manor, but still...once again, her   
curiousity was piqued.  
  
I suppose I can always find Spinel later, she reasoned in her mind, turning away from  
the staircase and heading down the rest of the hallway.   
  
There were fewer doors lining this section of the corridor. Tentatively, Tomoyo peeked  
into a few of them; mostly bathrooms and other empty bedrooms, which she assumed  
to be extra guest rooms.  
  
Behind one particular door, however, was a room lined with bookshelves, loose papers  
on the oak desk, folders, notebooks, and various other things -- Tomoyo deemed it  
to be a study. Strange place for a study to be...then again, Eriol wasn't the most  
normal of people.  
  
She wandered into the room, glancing at the various books. Then she did a double  
take -- on closer inspections, they were actually magic books. Scriptures, diaries, all  
filled with talk about magic, and ancient magic, and fortune-telling, and things like so.   
Very interesting, to tell the truth...even if she didn't possess any magic herself. It was  
amazing reading about a world that seemed, for most people, to only exist in stories.  
  
Picking a notebook up from the desk, she rifled through it briefly -- from the snatches  
of writing she happened to catch, she learned that it was actually Eriol's -- Clow's --  
diary.  
Tomoyo paused, holding the notebook uncertainly. If she read this, she could figure  
out just what exactly Hiiragizawa was planning for her best friend...but no, she couldn't  
do that.   
  
She told herself it was because it just would not be the polite thing to do.  
  
Tomoyo closed the book and placed it back down on the desk, her mind suddenly  
coming back to the few things she HAD glimpsed from the diary. Although most of the  
entries were dated just a few weeks prior, the language they were written in sounded  
as if it were from centuries past...meaning Clow must have been writing through Eriol.  
It must have been hard for Eriol however, to live life under Clow's direct--  
  
Her chain of thought was suddenly broken as a voice came from the doorway.   
"Daidouji-san?"  
  
Tomoyo leaped back from the desk and turned to face Eriol, first in shock and then in  
hidden guilt. "H-Hiiragizawa-kun, what are you doing here?" she stammered.  
  
Eriol raised an eyebrow. "I won't make the obvious reply," he stated pointedly. "There  
was only a half-day of school today -- everyone went home early." He paused and  
watched her, his eyes going cooler. "What are YOU doing here?" he demanded quietly,  
a dangerous tone entering his voice.  
  
Tomoyo bit her lip and took another step away from the desk, her guilt growing. "I was  
just...wandering around, and I kind of stumbled upon this place," she began explaining  
as Eriol marched up to the desk and picked up the diary. He looked at it in his hands  
for a moment before turning his look on her. "Did you read this?" he asked, in the same  
tone.  
  
Tomoyo opened her mouth to deny it, but then stopped. "I picked it up," she said  
hesitantly. "I opened it, I went through a few pages..." The dangerous look spread to  
Eriol's eyes, and she quickly finished, looking down. "But I couldn't read it," she   
concluded quietly.  
  
The frost in Eriol's eyes was replaced by slight surprise. "Why not?" he asked   
suspiciously.   
Tomoyo glanced up at him. "Because they're YOUR private thoughts," she  
admitted. "I would hate it if you read my mind, and you know it. You also know that  
you could read my thoughts right now if you wanted to, but you're not. So I can't do  
it, either."  
  
Eriol just looked at her for a long moment, not in the same way, but it made her feel  
uncomfortable nonetheless. She continued looking at the wine coloured carpet, not  
knowing why she was allowing Hiiragizawa to make her feel this way when HE had   
kidnapped HER...but still feeling bad about where she'd been caught, anyway.  
  
And slightly afraid. Hiiragizawa-kun could be very unpredictable. She tentatively  
took one step further away from him.  
  
At that, he sighed and placed the diary back on the desk. "You don't have to be  
afraid," he said quietly, a hidden undertone in his voice. As if trying to hold back anger.   
"You know yourself that on the night you saw me in the forest, I could have easily just   
blasted you into oblivion. But I didn't. And I made a promise when I brought you here that  
no matter what, I wouldn't let myself lose my temper and hurt you, even though you   
HAVE done many things to push it. Because your real only crime was being in the wrong  
place at the wrong time."  
  
Tomoyo remained silent. Before a little over a week ago, she hadn't even known  
that Hiiragizawa HAD a temper. And when he'd kidnapped her, she was never all that  
sure, considering she never saw him, wouldn't let herself talk to him when she DID  
see him, and...he hid it so well. Thinking back on her behaviour, she winced a bit; she  
HAD been a bit of a terror. She remembered the first night, when she had slapped him  
across the face...when all he'd done was make her supper, because he'd been sure  
she was hungry -- which she was, of course.  
  
He tried to get me to turn against Sakura, a voice protested weakly in her mind,  
thinking back on the actual words that had induced the blow.   
It was still rude though, she told herself firmly. And she had NEVER been raised to be  
rude. Eriol had had every right to "blast her into oblivion", she must have pushed all  
his buttons. Yet he'd STILL treated her like a courteous guest, tried to make little  
reference to the kidnapping as possible...even agreeing to teach me the piano, she  
thought, feeling terrible. It really WASN'T his fault that she was here, in a way. She   
remembered Nakuru saying something about how her master had chosen this over   
damaging her memory, again so that he wouldn't hurt her...even when trying to be evil,   
he was still sweet. Hiiragizawa Eriol was a very kind person...Tomoyo only knew one  
other person who would have tolerated such rudeness...her best friend, Sakura-chan.  
Tomoyo wasn't sure that even she herself would have put up with her own behaviour  
had the roles been reversed.   
  
And a tiny flicker of admiration, for his enduring everything he'd had to put up with, and  
stll manage to be polite and sweet, while she was so horrible, flared up inside her.  
  
And on top of that, he'd just caught her in what seemed to be his private study.  
She felt terrible, and knew that an apology was in order. But she just couldn't make it  
come out. She couldn't even say a simple "I'm sorry".  
So all she could do was continue to stare at the ground, her hair forming a violet  
curtain as it veiled her face, like a child caught in a horrible act.  
  
Eriol stared at her form for a minute, and his eyes softened slightly -- in truth, Tomoyo  
didn't really even have to say anything; simply the fact that she hadn't reacted to  
what he had said by screaming about how he had taken her against her will showed  
that she was starting to feel regret. And about time, too.  
  
Not that he held it against her...he had reminded himself over and over again, each  
time as he bore her icy glares, that she really had no idea what was going on -- just  
an innocent girl, who didn't even have magic, lost in a sea of something that was far   
bigger than just herself. She didn't understand at all. And he felt horrible himself for  
getting her involved -- the only consolation was that she had known about a little bit  
of it beforehand.  
  
He hadn't been able to explain to her, so she just knew that she had been kidnapped   
simply for walking around in the woods at night. Eriol had to admit that he wouldn't have   
been too pleased in the same situation -- if all truth be known, he thought she had   
adapted incredibly well.  
  
He looked down at the notebook in his hands. "Thank you, Daidouji-san," he  
murmured in a note she'd never heard from him before -- genuine gratitude. She felt  
guilty again.  
  
"You shouldn't really thank me," she muttered, tracing a pattern on the floor with her  
foot. "I was tempted to read it, believe me...I wanted to see what you were planning  
for Sakura-chan next." Here there was a faintly accusing note. "And I DID happen to  
glance at some of the words written there when I was leafing through it...not many,  
but some."  
  
Eriol turned to her. "Most people would have acted upon that temptation, however,"  
he told her. "But you are a truly good person, Daidouji-san."  
  
There it was again -- he was acting so kind and truthful toward her..but he was holding  
her prisoner at the same time, causing Tomoyo to be more confused and guilty than she   
had ever been before.   
  
Apparently, he read the confusion on her face, because he looked away, back down to  
the diary on his desk. "I know you think I'm a bad person," he said, quietly again. He  
gave a small, joyless chuckle. "Maybe I really am."  
  
Tomoyo didn't know how to reply to that, so she simply changed the subject. Slightly.  
"It must be hard, living Clow Reed's second life for him," she murmured daringly, then   
jumped back a bit as Eriol walked past her to the window, looking out. He was silent   
for a long moment, and Tomoyo just stood, respecting that silence. After a while, she   
began to think she should just leave, -- for sure he couldn't want to see HER right at  
the moment -- but before she could take a step she heard his voice again.  
  
"Have you ever gotten the feeling...that when you do something, it is completely  
insignificant, because the credit will go to someone else?"  
  
Tomoyo paused, then nodded slowly. "A few times, yes."  
He sighed. "That's what it's like. Almost every day. I'm just the shadowed echo of the  
most powerful magician in the world...like a shell. It's like he lives inside me." He turned  
to her, and she was surprised by the look in his eyes. Not a significant look, but usually  
he always carefully masked his emotions so that they wouldn't be revealed...but now  
he looked so...Tomoyo could read everything he was feeling, just with a glance into  
his sapphire midnight eyes. It made him seem so vulnerable...that also shocked her.   
  
"But he's NOT me," Eriol continued, somewhat insistently. "I may be him, but I'm also  
myself...but that always seems to be the problem. I can never tell where he ends, and  
I begin..." he trailed off, looking back out the window.  
  
For some reason she would never be able to fathom, she suddenly connected him with  
her Sakura-chan in her mind....they seemed so similar right then. It was weird how she  
was suddenly noticing all these similarities between her best friend and her captor.  
And even more strangely, she felt the sudden desire to do to him what she did for Sakura   
whenever she felt hopeless. Comfort him.  
  
She didn't know why.  
  
But she did it anyway. Somewhat.  
  
Daringly, Tomoyo took a step closer to him. "You're not out to destroy Sakura-chan,  
are you?" she said softly.  
Eriol stiffened and turned to her again, his emotions once again hidden..except for   
maybe surprise. "Did Ruby Moon or Spinel tell you something--"  
Tomoyo shook her head in a negative. "Of course not," she told him. "They refused to  
tell me anything."  
  
Eriol nodded slowly, then looked back at her. "Then how did you know..I mean.."   
Tomoyo shook her head again with a tiny smile at his small slip-up, but continued on  
anyway. "Clow Reed would never hurt Sakura. And I know that you wouldn't either."  
  
"Why not?" he asked challengingly. "Just because Clow wouldn't?"  
Tomoyo finally raised her eyes to Eriol. "If Clow ordered you to destroy Sakura-chan  
right now, would you do it?" she asked quietly. Eriol's eyes widened at the question,  
and then he glanced away. "I would have to, wouldn't I?" There was actual   
questioning in his tone.  
  
"Hiiragizawa-kun..." Tomoyo trailed off herself, trying to find a way to put this. "If   
you're uncertain within yourself, then just look around at the people around you.   
I know that Sakura-chan became friends with Hiiragizawa Eriol, not Clow Reed. Li-kun  
hates Hiiragizawa-kun, not Clow Reed -- how could he? He's been worshipping the  
man nearly his whole life." The last one was said with a small laugh.  
  
Eriol was watching her in shock, and she quieted for a moment before continuing. She  
herself walked over to the window next to him. "Spinel told me that he was very  
different from Kero-chan, just like Nakuru-san is very different from Yue-san. Just   
because they are technically similar, doesn't mean that they are each other." She  
glanced at him. "It's the same with Clow Reed and you. And that's only verified by the  
fact that you made Nakuru-san and Spinel so different from his previous guardians."   
  
Eriol was still looking at her in surprise and...admiration, again. Daidouji-san  
was very, very wise beyond her years..wise beyond his own years, in fact. "I only  
did so, so that Cerberus and Yue wouldn't look for Clow in me..."  
  
"..Because you aren't him," Tomoyo finished with a knowing smile, still looking out the  
window.  
  
Eriol could only stare -- not just because what she'd just said made so much sense...  
but because it had actually made him feel better...and almost as if she understood.  
As well as the fact that she was actually speaking so nicely to him, even though she  
was his prisoner, in a sense.   
  
There was a slight pause, before she continued again, in a halting voice. "Just for the  
record, Hiiragizawa-kun....I - I don't think you're a bad person," she said. "Oh, you may  
act the part very well...but the boy I was with last night, the one who taught me to  
play the piano..he wasn't bad." Her voice faltered slightly. "I'm...sorry I've always made  
it seem the contrary."  
  
Eriol smirked slightly, not looking at her. The truth was, it was incredibly difficult to   
be terrible to Daidouji-san.  
  
"Daidouji-san...thank you."  
Tomoyo seemed to snap out of some sort of reverie, before her face heated up,   
embarrassed by what she had done. "D-Don't be riduculous, Hiiragizawa-kun...I didn't  
do anything," she said, trying to wave it off.  
  
Eriol smirked at her again, but this time it resembled a smile more than anything. "What-  
ever you say," he said flippantly, but then gave her a mock-reproachful look. "Still, I'm  
surprised at you, Daidouji-san," he drawled. "Snooping around into things that aren't  
your business."  
  
Tomoyo winced again at the reminder of her behaviour, until she saw the mirthful gleam   
in his eyes, which surprised her, but she managed to give him a teasingly sharp look.   
"Don't go getting cocky with me, Hiiragizawa," she admonished. "You're still the one who   
kidnapped me."  
  
"Ah yes, you still haven't forgiven me for that, have you?" Tomoyo was about to reply  
to the question when he suddenly dropped to his knees in a dashing, graceful bow   
with a flourish. She stared at him wide eyed. "What on earth do you think--" she   
demanded, stunned and appalled, when he cut her off, his eyes looking entirely too   
mischievious.  
  
"I, Hiiragizawa Eriol, humbly ask for Daidouji Tomoyo's gracious forgiveness for kidnap-  
ping her," he said formally, still bowing down to her like she was a queen.   
Tomoyo rolled her eyes upwards on impulse. "Oh for heaven's sake--" she began, but  
then couldn't hold it in anymore and giggled at his antics. Eriol stared at her, and then  
smiled himself. "You just laughed," he stated the obvious.  
  
Tomoyo shook her head, her purple eyes still glowing with laughter. "Get up you silly  
boy, and cease being ridiculous this second." She waved a hand at him dismissively.  
Eriol took her hand from in front of him and kissed it gallantly, as her eyes grew about  
two sizes larger. "Nuh-uh," he chided. "Not until you say you forgive me."  
  
Tomoyo sighed in resignation. "Oh all right," she agreed, just as formally. "I, Daidouji  
Tomoyo graciously forgive the utterly absurd Hiiragizawa Eriol for kidnapping me." She  
then glared at him. "But NOT for hurting Sakura-chan. And don't think I'll ever let you  
forget it."   
  
Eriol just smiled innocently back at her. He DID have a nice smile, she found herself  
noticing, when it's not lined with evil.   
  
What a strange change this was.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Tomoyo-chan!"  
Nakuru threw open Tomoyo's door, dressed in her pink nightgown with a toothbrush in  
one hand.  
  
Tomoyo looked up as Nakuru came in.   
"Eriol-sama requests your presence down in the living room," she informed her, looking  
at the younger girl curiously. "Something about 'piano practice'."   
  
Tomoyo blinked, glancing at the bedside clock in surprise. "Already?" she murmured.   
"Aren't you all usually out by this time?"  
Nakuru shrugged vaguely. "We didn't go out tonight," she answered, still looking at  
her suspiciously. "Is there something going on?"  
  
Tomoyo looked at her in confusion. "Of course not. Hiiragizawa-kun just offered to   
teach me how to play the 'Moonlight Sonata'," she explained. Nakuru's face suddenly  
lit up, and she threw her arm around Tomoyo in an exuberant one-armed hug, as her  
other hand was occupied.   
  
"Ooooh, I'm SO glad you and the Master are getting along together!" she exclaimed  
happily. "It's wonderful!" Then for some reason, her face turned slightly mischevious.  
"Very wonderful indeed." Then she bounced back out the door. "I wouldn't want to   
keep you, Tomoyo-chan. Have fun! First dates are ALWAYS important. I have to go find   
Suppi-chan!"  
  
Tomoyo stared at the door the chocolate haired girl had just disappeared out of,  
confusion and bewilderment etched on her face. What was THAT about? she wondered,  
standing up from the bed and heading out the door herself to meet Hiiragizawa down-  
stairs.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Eriol looked up from the piano where he was already seated, as she came into the  
room. He smiled politely. "Good evening, Daidouji-san," he greeted. Tomoyo nodded in   
response, just as politely, still looking slightly confused. "What's with Nakuru-san   
tonight?" she questioned him.  
  
Eriol rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know, but if I were you, I wouldn't  
bother to find out. You'll soon find that life is so much simpler when you don't get   
involved in Ruby Moon's schemes."  
  
"Or yours, but I suppose it's already too late for that," she quipped teasingly, sitting  
on the bench next to him. He pulled a wounded face. "You injure me, Daidouji-san,"  
he said, the picture of hurt innocence.  
  
"I'm sure," she muttered, then glanced at the piece of paper he was holding a pencil  
over. "What's this?" she asked, gently taking it from him. He seemed reluctant, but  
handed it over, anyway.   
  
"It's a new piece of music I'm writing," he replied. "Yes, I write music as well as play  
it." He wondered why he'd just told her that bit of information; nobody else knew  
about his hobby except for Ruby Moon and Spinel. And now Tomoyo.  
She seemed very impressed. "Really? That's amazing."   
  
Eriol simply shrugged, absently tapping down on a few of the piano keys. "Just some-  
thing I do when I get bored, or need to get away."  
Tomoyo smiled. "You seem to do a lot of things when you get bored. You play the  
piano, write music...harm Sakura-chan.."  
Eriol winced. "Jeez, you were right when you said you wouldn't let me forget it," he  
muttered.  
  
Tomoyo gave him a quick smirk. "Nakuru-san told me that you also paint when you   
get inspired," she said, also tapping out a familiar jingle on the piano. "I saw the  
paintings you did in my room -- they are very well done."  
  
Eriol grinned. "Still hesitant to give me any compliments, I see," he said.  
Tomoyo didn't reply, looking at the sheet of paper with the handwritten music on it.  
She glanced at the words and the notes together. Eriol watched her critiquing   
expression with his own look of amusement. Then she picked up the pencil from the  
top of the piano, went around the side of the instrument to write on its base, and  
began erasing and filling in some things.  
  
Eriol raised an eyebrow. "Uh...what are you doing?" he asked. Tomoyo didn't reply,  
frowning in concentration. Eriol sighed and simply decided to wait it out.  
Finally, she set the pencil back down and handed the sheet back to him. "There," she  
said, a note of timidness in her voice. "I switched some things around; it was a little  
depressing," she explained.  
  
Eriol took the sheet from her and looked at it himself. Just as he'd thought; both the  
music and the words now had a lighter, happier theme. It was only a subtle change,  
but still there.  
  
"Did you consider that maybe it was SUPPOSED to be depressing?" Eriol demanded.  
  
Tomoyo looked down. "Well, you don't have to keep the changes if you don't want to,"   
she pointed out in faint annoyance. "I just thought you might not want to have such  
a depressing point of view about love and life."  
  
Eriol didn't comment for a while, studying the sheet of music again. "That's the way  
I've always viewed it," he murmured. "How can you have such a different view of it?"  
Tomoyo watched him for a moment, feeling a tinge of sympathy in her heart...for  
somebody who could have such a negative point of view about both life and love.  
  
He waited for her answer, and she looked at the carpet again with a faint smile. "I  
just think about Sakura-chan," she replied quietly. "She's always so cheerful, and  
that's the way she sees life. My own views on the two subjects have changed as  
well since I met her."  
  
Eriol looked at her inquisitively. "You love Sakura-san more than just a friend, don't  
you?" he stated finally.  
Tomoyo didn't remove her eyes from the ever-fascinating carpet. "You are very   
observant, Hiiragizawa-kun," she murmured.  
  
He felt his own sympathy --empathy, he'd been in a similar situation before -- toward   
her, mixed with genuine confusion. "I've known for a while, Daidouji-san," he told her.   
"But then, how can you possibly have such positive views about love, when Sakura   
doesn't care for you in that way? Because she's already got Li..."  
  
Tomoyo smiled again, shrugging slightly. "Sakura is always so beautiful when she is  
happy, she just can't help but make you feel happy as well. Haven't you ever noticed  
that?" When he nodded, she continued. "So if Sakura's happy, then I am happy too...  
her happiness is my happiness. So it doesn't matter who she's happy WITH for me, as  
long as they don't hurt her."  
  
She hesitated, and then continued. "And Hiiragizawa-kun, love IS happiness...and you  
can't enjoy the beautiful things in life without happiness."  
Eriol snorted. "Love ISN'T happiness," he muttered.  
  
"The experience of being in love is happiness," Tomoyo countered.   
"It's painful," he pointed out. "Which is why I can't understand how you can take that  
point of view about it when you've obviously felt the painful part of it."  
"Well no wonder you can't understand," she said in exasperation. "Everything's going  
to look bad if you only look at the negative points. It's a very sweet and lovely feeling  
to feel love...and that's where the happiness comes from."  
  
Eriol paused, having to admit that what she was saying did make sense. There was  
that wiseness again.  
  
"You're a very strange girl, Daidouji-san," he noted. "But I think I understand what  
you're saying."  
"You're a very strange boy yourself, Hiiragizawa-kun," she replied. "But that's okay too."  
She gestured to the music. "Are you going to play it?"  
  
Eriol frowned in consideration, then smirked at her. "Only if you sing along," he said.  
  
Tomoyo blinked. "O-Okay," she agreed, standing up from the bench and leaning against  
the piano, before quickly jumping away from it in trepidation. "You're not going to chase  
me with this thing, are you?" she asked, remembering the last time she had sung while  
Eriol played the piano, which had ended in her barely escaping being crushed by the  
grand instrument. At the time, she'd had no idea that it was Hiiragizawa-kun's doing, of   
course.  
  
Eriol smiled in amusement as he too remembered the episode. "I won't," he agreed, then  
chuckled as Tomoyo looked around his back for any hidden crossed fingers. "What,  
you don't trust me?"  
  
Tomoyo decided not to grace that with a comment, and just arranged herself in the   
usual position next to the piano. Eriol smiled again at her silence before concentrating   
on the music. After a moment, he began to play the half-finished song, and then   
Tomoyo soon joined in.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
"What do you think?" she asked after the song had ended.  
Eriol was studying the music sheet in contemplation. "Well, it's very different from the  
way I originally planned it to be.." he began.  
  
"Meaning you don't like it," Tomoyo said, mildly disappointed.  
Eriol shook his head. "I never said that. It is different, very different from any of the  
other songs that I've written...but it was really nice. Not bad, for your first time writing  
a song," he said pointedly.  
  
Tomoyo glanced away, faintly embarrased. "Thank you very much," she said, sitting  
back next to him on the bench. "You played it wonderfully also. "Can you teach me  
that too?"  
  
Eriol chuckled. "First the Moonlight Sonata, now this?" he asked sarcastically.   
"Well, this seems to be so much easier than the sonata," Tomoyo said. "But if you   
would rather not.." She made a move to get up from the piano bench, when he gently  
grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.  
"Don't worry Daidouji-san, if you want, I'll teach you everything you need to know   
about the piano," he said, still laughing a little.  
  
Picking out the notes on the piano which she had learned yesterday, Tomoyo slowly  
but surely made her way through Eriol's song. It didn't sound even a tenth as good as  
the way he had played it, but Eriol still insisted that she was very good, considering  
she hadn't known a thing about the instrument before last night. It was strange, how  
much his compliments and praise had begun to mean to her.  
  
Then they went back to the Moonlight Sonata, some time around eleven at night.   
After Tomoyo had gotten through a few more bars of the music, she had asked him,   
ever-politely again, to play the whole thing properly, before the "lesson" ended. So he   
did.  
  
And he was really only halfway through Beethoven's piece before he felt a light weight  
leaning against him. Pausing in his playing, he turned to find Tomoyo leaning against  
him, her eyes closed peacefully. She was asleep.  
  
Eriol sighed and shook his head with a rueful smile; he had WARNED her that it was  
late at night and she should go to bed. Of course she hadn't listened; Daidouji-san  
could be very strongheaded at times, something new he had learned about her in the  
last week or so which she had been here. He'd really never expected to learn so much  
about her when he'd taken her after she saw him in the forest...but the stuff he had  
learned only made him admire her more.  
  
Or was it admiraton after all?  
That was the only thing Eriol could chalk it up too -- he had never felt love before, in  
either of his two lives, he wouldn't even know how it felt.  
  
Placing an arm around her, he was about to do a levitation spell to get her to her  
bedroom, when he suddenly realized just how light she was. Probably from not eating  
as much -- Tomoyo still refused to have dinner with him, and usually had her meals in  
her room. And never finished them completely.  
  
Putting another arm beneath her knees, he lifted her up carefully, deciding to simply  
carry her to her room. The levitation spell would most likely disturb her; like with his  
decision between taking her home with him or putting a memory-erasing spell on her and   
risk damaging other parts of her memory, he wanted to disrupt her as little as possible.  
  
She flinched momentarily in his arms and he hesitated -- she didn't trust him completely  
yet, to his knowledge -- but then she simply relaxed against his chest, her long hair  
spilling over his arm like a violet curtain. Eriol was feeling a strange -- melting? --   
sensation in his heart, and all this did was confuse him. He had to wonder again if it  
was such a good idea to have kidnapped her.  
  
Moving gently so he didn't wake her, he made his way up the stairs and into her room.  
Only when he had lain her down on her bed did he glance carefully at her as he pulled  
up the covers, at the angelic peaceful face that for once revealed the real Daidouji  
Tomoyo again. Fragile, yet with an inner strength that most men couldn't even match.  
The kind, pure heart he had caught a glimpse of more than once over the course of  
the day. The heart of one who could actually comfort and advise the guy who had  
kidnapped her and was holding her prisoner.  
  
And it was beautiful.  
  
Why?....  
  
Not surprisingly, he wasn't able to pull his gaze away. After a while, he bent down and  
kissed her forehead gently. "I'm really sorry about all this, Daidouji-san," he murmured  
barely above a whisper. "But I really would like to be your friend, if you would let me."  
  
Tomoyo stirred slightly at his kiss, but luckily didn't wake up, and then Eriol noticed that  
she still had her clothes on. For some reason he felt his face go warm, why, he could  
not comprehend. Eriol didn't think there had been a time in his life when he had EVER  
blushed.  
  
He stood for a moment, undecided about what to do, but then he went out the door  
to the room just a few doors down from Tomoyo's, and knocked on it softly yet   
insistently. "Ruby Moon?"  
  
There was movement inside the room, and Eriol was sure he heard a tiny voice cry   
out, but it could have been his imagination. The door opened, and a light-cocoa haired  
girl emerged, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Eriol-sama, what is it?" she demanded,   
seemingly trying to keep annoyance out of her voice. "It's practically midnight."  
  
"I'm sorry to bother you, Ruby Moon, but..." Eriol hesitated, wondering how to phrase  
it. "Daidouji-san fell asleep at the piano, and I brought her up to her room, but.."  
He didn't notice the delighted smirk that crossed Nakuru's face.  
  
Nakuru quickly wiped it off before he COULD notice. "She's still in her clothes, and you  
want me to change her into her nightgown?" she guessed, already following Eriol back  
down the hallway.  
  
Eriol quietly pushed open the door of Tomoyo's room. "Yeah," he said. "But try not to  
wake her, okay?" he added quickly as Nakuru walked over to the wardrobe and pulled  
out Tomoyo's white nightgown.  
  
The moon guardian looked at him, a suspicious, mischevious glint in her tawny eyes.  
"You sure are terribly careful around Tomoyo-chan," she said.   
Eriol frowned. "Of course. She's a guest, Ruby Moon," he pointed out.  
  
Ruby Moon blinked, her eyes wide in innocence. "She's a guest now? Whatever happened  
to being a prisoner? That's what she was before."  
  
Eriol usually loved Nakuru's personality, especially since that was the way he'd made her.   
So for what had to be the first time, her attitude was beginning to grate on his nerves.   
"She was never a prisoner," he argued through gritted teeth.  
  
Nakuru simply shrugged. "Whatever you say, dear Master. But you have to admit, you  
ARE overly-careful with Tomoyo-chan. After all, even from the start, you could have  
simply done the memory-erasing spell, but you still didn't want to run the risk of   
harming her in any way."  
  
Eriol was very annoyed now; mostly because Nakuru was hitting too close to home.  
"So what were you two doing downstairs until this late, anyway?" Nakuru asked   
teasingly.  
  
"Nakuru," Eriol growled. Nakuru just giggled. "It's an innocent question," she protested.  
Eriol sighed, leaning against the wall. "I taught her to play the piano. She helped me  
with my song I'm writing. We talked."  
  
Nakuru's eyes widened. "She helped you with your song?" she gasped, her eyes  
dancing. "Wow, Master -- you won't even let me OR Spinel do that! Are you sure there  
isn't something going on?" She gave him a sly look.  
  
Eriol glowered again; she was right about that too. He had never let Spinel or Nakuru  
help him with his songs, insisting that he had to do them on his own, or he wouldn't  
like them. But tonight, he had allowed Tomoyo to alter his new one...and had liked the  
way it turned out in the end, as well.  
  
But that was only because...  
  
"Daidouji-san's a very nice person," he protested. "And she is a very good friend too."  
  
"Mmm-hmm," Nakuru said breezily. "And me and Suppi-chan are evil and demonic." She  
then squeezed her master. "But I don't mind. Whatever makes you happy, Eriol-sama."  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Eriol demanded angrily.  
  
But Nakuru had already bounced over to Tomoyo's bed, and was beginning to pull off  
her sweater. "Eriol-sama, you have to leave!" she said indignantly. "I'm sure you   
wouldn't mind staying, but --"  
  
Fighting down his blush, Eriol threw her another look that promised death, and then left   
the room, annoyed and..shaken. Although Nakuru had a tendency to be a wild card,   
everything she did usually had a reason to it, even if it was one that didn't make sense  
to the rest of the world.  
  
It was too much to hope that this was one of the exceptions, wasn't it? But it had  
to be -- because there was no other answer. Not one that would make sense.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
And moments later, after Nakuru finished dressing Tomoyo in her nightwear, she  
quietly bounded back to her room, shut the door firmly behind her, then ran over to a  
sock thrown to the side of the room, undoing the knot in it. Spinel Sun's tiny blue  
head burst out of the opening as he began coughing lethally.  
  
"Next time, you wouldn't be so courteous as to warn me before throwing me into one  
of your old socks, would you?" he hacked, glaring up at his companion in heavy   
irritation.  
  
"Eriol-sama was at the door," she protested, then grinned. "But on another note --   
Eriol-sama is in love, with our very own Daidouji Tomoyo-chan."  
  
Spinel snorted; Nakuru had had this same crazy idea since the moment she had found  
out that Eriol was going to be giving Tomoyo a piano lesson in the living room that  
night. Which is why she had seized him after Tomoyo and Eriol had met in the room,  
and dragged him up to her room to enforce this belief on him. "Ruby Moon, I still think   
you're jumping to conclusions. It's not an instant declaration of love to give somebody   
a piano lesson, you know."  
  
"But he IS," Nakuru insisted. "You weren't there when we were just talking in Tomoyo-  
chan's room. He was all concerned and everything, and he practically threatened me  
if I woke her up... you should've SEEN the way he was looking at her, it was even more  
intense than the way he looks at Sakura-san...it was SO romantic.."  
  
Spinel rolled his large eyes, trying to suppress a disdainful snort. "Ruby Moon, I think   
you've been spending too much time chasing Kinomoto-san. The crush has gone to your   
head."  
  
"Touya-kun has nothing to do with this," Nakuru shot back. "If you'd been there, you  
would have known what I'm talking about. Eriol-sama was looking at her...kind of the  
way he looks at you and I, but more...I don't know how to explain it! But you know that  
it means SOMETHING, because we're the most important people in Eriol-sama's life."  
  
Spinel bit back a reply -- because he didn't have one. It was true; Eriol rarely showed  
any true emotion, and then if he did, it was only when himself or Nakuru were around.  
But if Tomoyo was somehow managing to break down all his barriers, without even  
knowing it...  
  
His sneering expression melted into a subdued one, and Nakuru watched him in confusion.   
"Suppi-chan? What's wrong?"  
  
"My name is Spinel," he responded dryly, as a reflex. But then he turned to her, as  
she began dancing in glee and delight around the room, muttering something about  
first loves. "Ruby Moon, this isn't just some frivilous thing," he snapped in annoyance.  
"Eriol-sama has only been in love once...which ended painfully. It wasn't even true  
love though; he'd kept most of his barriers up, and it was a simple crush, I suspect."  
  
"I KNOW!" said Nakuru, sticking her tongue out at him, then wandering over to her  
dresser mirror and began setting her light chocolate hair for preparation for bed. "That's  
why it's so adorable. Tomoyo-chan has taught him all about love -- now maybe he  
won't be such an ice block anymore. And it's his FIRST LOVE."  
  
Spinel shook his head. "It could also end up being his first heartbreak," he muttered.  
At this, Nakuru paused, whirling to face him. "What are you talking about?" she  
demanded. "Tomoyo-chan would never hurt Eriol-sama!"  
  
"Not intentionally," Spinel replied. "But remember, she HAS been in love before -- and  
most likely still is. Haven't you ever noticed the way she looks at Sakura-san?"  
Nakuru was quiet, for once. Then, "But isn't it just an infatuation? It does kind of remind  
me of what Eriol-sama experienced before."  
"Perhaps so, but it must be deeper than Eriol-sama's...because Tomoyo's had more  
experience with being loved."   
  
"WE love Eriol-sama!" said Nakuru indignantly.  
"True...but he thinks it is because we are simply his creations and have no other choice."  
At her scathing look, quickly added, "Of course I love him for who he IS, whether he  
created me or not..but he just doesn't see it that way. He's blocked all love from his  
world; must be a side-effect of living half of Clow's life."  
  
"Except in Tomoyo's case," Nakuru muttered. "He's never opened up to anyone that  
fast, and that much...not to mention someone he got off to such a bad start with." Her  
eyes glowed again. "Do you realize what that means, Suppi? It's got to be fate!"  
  
Spinel shook his head. "SHE certainly doesn't find it charming that he kidnapped her and  
brought her here against her will."  
  
"But...she agreed to let him teach her how to play piano," Nakuru argued. "Besides that,  
she somehow got him to offer to teach her!" Dazzled again.  
  
Spinel rubbed his small head. "Ruby Moon, for the last time. Piano. Lessons. Do. Not.  
Equal. Love."  
  
Nakuru placed a finger on her chin as she pondered this, and then a sly grin swept  
across her face. Spinel watched her warily. "What are you planning this time?" he  
demanded. Honestly, sometimes she schemed more than the Master did. And her  
schemes also had the tendency to get just SLIGHTLY out of hand.  
  
"Perhaps piano lessons won't be enough to make them fall in love," she said slyly. "But  
I bet OTHER situations could help, especially if we could set up those other situations."  
Spinel stared at her blankly for a moment before carefully backing away, instantly   
shaking his head. "Oh no," he said firmly. "You're not dragging ME into playing match-  
maker, especially not with YOU." He didn't even want to think about how disastrous  
a matchmaking plan thought up by Nakuru would be -- it was her most dangerous  
project yet.  
  
Nakuru looked annoyed. "Suppi-chan, just trust me!" she insisted.  
Spinel shuddered. "No thanks, I'd rather live."  
Nakuru sniffed. "Would you please relax? I've seen Tomoyo-chan practice this art lots  
of times with Sakura-san and Eriol-sama's cute descendant. It'll be a cinch." She waved  
a hand. "But if YOU don't want to look out for the well-being of our dearest Master.."  
  
Spinel sighed; he REALLY didn't want to get roped into Nakuru's crazy plans...but if it  
would ensure the Master's happiness...Spinel really DID want Eriol-sama to be happy,  
and find a light in his life. Even if Eriol-sama ended up murdering him for it later.  
  
So he said it, the six most dangerous words he'd ever said in his life: "Alright Ruby Moon.  
I'll help you."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.............  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: The base has been set, as E+T find out even more about each other. By the way,  
sorry I didn't write the song into the fic -- it'll come in a later chapter. It's not  
even a song I wrote originally, but it's absolutely beautiful and perfect and one  
of my favourites. Now, I know this had a lot of fluff in it (and beware! There's  
more coming up in the next few chapters ^^*). I'm not that great at writing  
fluff, but it is necessary...the twists will come at the end. And that's the ONLY  
hint I'm giving you! =p Once again, please be a responsible reader, and review  
or email at starviewcom@hotmail.com, and thanks again everybody.  
  
  
And P.S, don't worry, the next chapter won't take nearly as long to get out. 


	5. Default Chapter

Here's the fourth chapter, early as I promised! ^_^ I can't believe you guys have  
actually stuck with me throughout this whole thing, I can't thank you enough and tell  
you how much it means to me. *sniffs* Sixty reviews at FanFiction.Net -- I NEVER  
thought I would get so many, you're all so nice! And everyone whose emailed me, thank  
you very much also.   
  
Oh also, Priya-chan asked me about why they're able to be feeling love when they're  
only twelve years old ^^* Well, I thought that since Syaoran and Sakura got together  
in the second movie when they were about that age, and Tomoyo seemed to be in love  
with Sakura by the time she was ten...it's possible for E+T too, right? Don't worry,  
there's not going to be anything too, uh, limey ^^* (they're only twelve! I'm not that  
sick! =p)...at least, not yet ^_~. You'll all understand what I mean by the very end.  
And there's another question that she asked, which will be somewhat answered at the  
end of this chapter (another tiny hint ^.^). Thank you so much for asking, Priya-chan!  
You're the best...Priya-chan has been saying the nicest things, and reviewing since   
the very beginning...thank you SO much.   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: No, no, no, I could NEVER take credit for two such wonderful works as  
Clamp's/Kodansha's Card Captor Sakura, and Celine Dion's 'Beauty and the  
Beast'. *sighs* If I could ever create something even one tenth as amazing  
as those.... *_*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Both a little scared  
Neither one prepared  
Beauty and the Beast..~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Daidouji Tomoyo hesitantly pushed open the kitchen door and peaked inside; yes, she   
confirmed, the sounds which had woken her up late that morning were definetly coming   
from Nakuru-san, although why she was still home at this time was beyond her   
understanding.  
  
However, it certainly didn't seem like school was the biggest concern on Nakuru's mind,  
as she chased Spinel around a flour-filled kitchen. There was flour all over the counters,   
something was cooking in the oven...Spinel-san was caked in the white powder, and the   
kitchen was generally a mess.  
Tomoyo winced slightly; somehow, she doubted Hiiragizawa-kun would be very   
impressed when he came home. Where was he, anyway, if Nakuru-san was home?  
  
The two stopped their activities when they heard the door squeak slightly -- Nakuru  
beamed as she caught sight of Tomoyo peaking in timidly. "Tomoyo-chan! Good morning!"   
she squealed, knocking over the younger, amethyst eyed girl as she flung herself at her,   
decorating the entire front of the girl's outfit with flour.  
  
"Nakuru-san, aren't you supposed to be at school?" Tomoyo managed to get oudt as  
she gently wriggled herself out of Nakuru's viselike grip, catching Spinel's eye as he  
shot her a sympathetic look.   
  
The long haired girl smiled happily again. "Nope," she said cheerfully. "It's high school  
exams week. But since I don't have any exams this term, I get to stay home!" She  
giggled, hopping to her feet again. "Poor Touya-kun, though, he's got lots of exams. I'm  
gonna go cheer him up later. I wish I could bring you too, Tomoyo-chan.."  
  
Spinel snorted. "And what's your explanation for where she's been this whole time?"  
  
Tomoyo said nothing, feeling a small pang at the thought of her best friend's older   
brother, but before it could develop into full-swept nostalgia, Nakuru, perhaps sensing the   
turmoil, grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet as well. "Tomoyo-chan! Why don't you   
help us bake cookies?" she suggested enthusiastically.  
  
Tomoyo glanced over the older girl's shoulder at the kitchen. "Is that what you two are  
doing? Baking cookies?" she asked.  
Spinel nodded. "She used to do it all the time back in England," he told her. "And so  
she felt a sudden desire to do it today."  
Tomoyo nodded; she definetly understood what homesickness felt like.   
  
Nakuru turned back to her. "So will you?" she asked eagerly. "You have to! You look  
perfect for the part right now, so domestic!" She gave Tomoyo another squeeze, and  
Tomoyo looked down at her outfit -- a blue dress with a type of white apron worn  
over it, with her hair done up in low pigtails. It was true she mostly dressed this way   
around the house, and once, the day Sakura had captured the Sleep card.  
  
But she hesitated for a second, a fleeting thought entering her head. Prisoners aren't  
supposed to have such fun in the place they're being imprisoned. Then she quickly  
brushed it aside; never once had Nakuru, Spinel, or even Eriol treated her as if she  
were an actual prisoner -- and it seemed so long ago since she had last felt like one  
here. She couldn't help it; they were all just so friendly and kind, despite their alter-  
egos.  
  
Tomoyo smiled and nodded, walking up to the oven. "I'll help you guys," she agreed.  
"First thing you need to do, though, is take out whatever's in the oven before you  
burn this place down." She pointed to the oven, which was still alight with heat.  
  
Nakuru gasped, aghast. "Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!" she squealed, quickly snatching  
up a pair of oven mitts and yanking the pan out of the oven. Spinel rolled his eyes at  
the charred remnants of cookie batter. "What was that you were saying about being  
a master chef?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
Nakuru swatted him aside with one of the oven mitts. "Oh shut up, Suppi-chan!" she  
pouted. "It's pretty good; this is the only batch I've burned today."  
Tomoyo chuckled lightly, glancing around the room. "Do you always make such a mess  
whenever you cook?" she asked. Spinel waved a paw dismissively as he shook his head.  
"No, this is all because most of Nakuru's ingredients have been going on me instead of  
into the cookies like they're supposed to," he explained.  
  
As if to prove his point, the tawny eyed moon guardian rolled a wad of floury dough  
into a ball and heaved it at Spinel, catching him in the face and adding to the already  
thick layer of dough that was caked on him. "Well, if Suppi-chan would just stop making  
such rude comments -- and actually agree to TRY one of my cookies--" This last part  
was said in a wail. Spinel shuddered.  
  
Tomoyo laughed outright, missing it as Spinel and Nakuru shot her, and then each  
other, surprised glances. Of course, they had never heard her laugh before in this  
house.  
  
Tomoyo bounced over to the cupboards lining the kitchen and began searching through  
them. "Well, do you have any chocolate chips?" she asked. "Maybe Spinel-san would  
like chocolate chip cookies better." She cocked an eyebrow as Spinel suddenly gave  
her a terrified look. "What?"  
  
"Suppi-chan doesn't like ANYTHING with sugar," Nakuru explained, dumping about a  
cup of sugar into the mixing bowl. "He's strange that way."  
Tomoyo glanced at the navy sun guardian in surprise. "Really? But Kero-chan adores  
sweet things."  
"Yet another huge difference between Cerberus and I," Spinel answered, taking a seat on   
the kitchen counter.  
  
"Sugar makes Suppi-chan act strange," continued Nakuru. "But it's sooooo funny! And  
I like him so much better that way!" She spun around suddenly, her eyes glinting madly.  
"Hey Suppi-chan, why don't you show Tomoyo-chan?"  
  
Spinel's eyes expressed true fear as he immediately took off from the counter to a  
safer distance from Nakuru, hovering near the ceiling. "No," he said flatly.  
Nakuru pouted. "You're no fun!" she condemned. "And you don't even want to try  
my cookies. Do you know how much that hurts my feelings?"  
  
Spinel just snorted at Nakuru's melodrama, and Tomoyo giggled as she placed the  
fresh tray of cookies that Nakuru had just made into the oven. "Don't worry, Spinel-  
san, we'll make you some unsweetened cookies, alright?"  
"No we won't," Nakuru said darkly, narrowing her eyes at the diminuitive guardian.  
  
Tomoyo found a cinnamon bottle in an overhead cupboard, and reaching up on tiptoe,  
grabbed it down. Then she headed over to the batter, which was seemingly unflavoured  
save for the sugar. "How about we put some cinnamon in it?" she suggested, sprinkling  
a light dosage over the dough. "It may make them a little sweeter than they already  
are -- don't worry Spinel-san, you won't have to have any if you rather wouldn't --,  
but they taste really good afterwards."  
  
Nakuru lit up again. "That's a GREAT idea, Tomoyo-chan!" she agreed eagerly, mixing  
the cinnamon in carefully with the rest of the batter. Tomoyo smiled slightly, remember-  
ing just where she had gotten this "great idea". Cinnamon cookies were one of Sakura-  
chan's absolute favourites.  
  
Nakuru quickly rolled up the cookie dough and flattened it on yet another tray, which  
Tomoyo then took and placed in the oven, pulling out the previous set while at it.  
"Can we do anything else to them?" Nakuru asked Tomoyo. The violet haired girl tilted  
her head in consideration. "Well, what else do you have here?" she asked.  
  
The moon guardian darted over to the fridge and pulled it open. "Oooh! We have  
decorating icing."  
"Then we can use that," Tomoyo said. "To decorate all the cookies, and put little  
messages on them and things."  
Nakuru bounced up and down, clapping her hands in delight. "We can put pretty little  
drawings and patterns on them!" she squealed. "And I can put special messages on  
for Touya-kun and Tsukishiro-san, and give it to them tomorrow! They'll be so pleased."  
  
Tomoyo sweatdropped slightly; somehow she didn't think "pleased" would be the right   
word.  
  
"But we have to make lots and lots," Nakuru added, already squeezing out the icing into  
little patterns on the pastries.   
  
Well, it wasn't too hard to figure that one out. Probably to keep Tsukishiro-san occupied  
while she attempted to seduce Touya-san. Tomoyo shook her head and laughed lightly  
at the thought, pulling the cinnamon cookies out of the oven.  
  
Nakuru glanced up at Spinel, still hovering near the overhead light fixture. "Suppi-chan,  
come down and try a few of these. Pretty please?? They're very good, I promise."  
Spinel rubbed his tiny temple in exasperation. "If you call me Suppi-chan one more time,  
I'll very cheerfully shred up that new outfit you bought last week," he threatened.  
Nakuru gasped. "Well, for that you don't get any cookies!" she huffed.  
  
"I'm so terribly disappointed." Dripping sarcasm.  
"At least come down and help us decorate some of these!"' Pleading.  
"I don't trust you." Matter-of-factness.  
"Come down!" A shrill command.  
"No!" Outright disobedience.  
  
It seemed that this was a normal factor in the household. Tomoyo found it rather  
amusing, apparently -- she was giggling more than she had in nearly two weeks.  
  
"Come on, you two," she said with mirth. "Why don't we try some of the cookies, and  
see if they turned out well. You too, Spinel-san; here are your cookies, just as you  
ordered." She smiled as she deposited the unsugared cookie tray on the table. Spinel  
came down, still eyeing Nakuru warily. "These are very good," Spinel admitted, trying  
one carefully. Then he smiled at her; a real smile. "Amazing, Daidouji-san. None of the  
other two would have thought of making unsugared cookies."  
  
"Not even Hiiragizawa-kun?" Tomoyo asked, taking the seat next to Nakuru, which was  
also across from Spinel, who shrugged at her question. "Eriol-sama doesn't usually   
tend to help Ruby Moon make a mess of the kitchen," he replied. "He sometimes makes  
cookies with us -- but never unsugared ones."  
  
Tomoyo smiled again. "I can't imagine why. Unsugared cookies are just as common as  
regular ones."  
"Well they shouldn't be," Nakuru interjected, still giving Spinel an annoyed look. "Suppi-  
chan is just weird." Before the other guardian could even start on about the nickname,  
she turned back to Tomoyo, a glint in her eyes that was very similar to the one last  
night.  
  
"Speaking of Eriol-sama..." she began. Spinel cast her another wary look, this time  
laced with warning. "We weren't speaking of Eriol-sama," he said.  
  
Nakuru completely ignored him. "This was a lot of fun today," she told Tomoyo happily.  
"Eriol-sama is usually a lot of fun too, whenever he gets the time to help us -- but  
he's always busy in his study. But when he DOES help us, it's great, because it's like   
he's a real twelve year old boy, instead of an all powerful magician. Usually we're the  
only ones he shows that side too."  
  
Tomoyo felt a tinge of uncomfort; she thought that she had seen that side of him as  
well, a few times over the past couple of days. So what did that mean?  
She toyed with a cookie, nibbling it slowly. "So Hiiragizawa-kun likes baking as well?  
And he likes it because it's something that HE enjoys, and not because of Clow Reed?"  
  
Nakuru nodded in affirmation. "Yup! And he's very good at it, too. But then, he's good  
at all the things that he really enjoys." She paused, twirling a lock of hair around her  
finger. "But it isn't half as much fun as it is with you!" she said. "Because you're the  
only other girl here. Do you think we could perhaps do it again sometime?" This was  
said in an innocent overtone; Spinel scoffed and proceeded to bury himself in his new-  
found snack.  
  
Tomoyo hesitated; she could understand how Nakuru wanted to spend more time with  
her and be close to her -- being the only girl in a household of guys had to get annoying  
at times, even if she wasn't TECHNICALLY a girl. Nakuru probably thought it was like  
having a sister. And Tomoyo didn't mind at all -- if she'd have to have any big sister,  
she would have loved for it to be Nakuru-san. But...  
  
Nakuru shook her head hurriedly when Tomoyo didn't reply immediately. "We don't have  
to anytime soon," she reassured her. "Because then it would take too long to clean  
up the kitchen. But it would be SO much fun to do it again, wouldn't it?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded slowly. "Yes it would," she agreed quietly. In the corner of her mind,  
she realized that what had been implied was that she would be staying here for a long  
time -- it bothered her a bit, but not as much as it would have before. Why? Because  
at least if she wasn't with her friends and family, these people were friends as well.   
  
She got up from the table to put away the milk, her mind full; the milk had been sitting   
outside for over an hour.   
  
"Do I even want to ask what went on in here?" asked a dry voice from the doorway.  
Tomoyo started at the sound, accidentally spilling a little bit of milk on her clothes, as  
Nakuru shrieked, "Eriol-sama!" and launched herself at her Master, who had been   
watching them with one arched eyebrow.  
  
"The real question is, 'Do you even NEED to ask what is going on here'," Spinel  
corrected as he peered down from the light fixture, still not trusting to get within  
striking distance of Nakuru.  
  
Tomoyo approached him much more slowly than Nakuru had. "Another half day at  
school?" she inquired. Eriol nodded in response. "They're having some kind of dispute  
down there." He looked fairly surprised to see her down in the kitchen.   
  
"Did Ruby Moon drag you down here?" he asked suspiciously; he wouldn't be surprised,   
his guardian had done that same thing to him multiple times.  
  
Tomoyo shook her head. "No, I just heard them in here when I came down," she told  
him, suddenly not meeting his gaze directly. Noticing, not for the first time, how intense  
it could be. Wondering, for the first time, just how it was making her feel so uncomfort-  
able when it had never affected her before.  
  
"Hiiragizawa-kun, I want to apologize--" she blurted hurriedly, remembering how she had   
fallen asleep in the living room the night before and had somehow woken up in her bed   
this morning.  
  
Eriol looked amused. "For falling asleep yesterday? I won't say 'I told you so'.."  
Tomoyo toyed with one of her pigtails. "Don't gloat," she chided him, then murmured, "I-I  
didn't realize I was so tired.. and I'm very sorry for the inconvenience I must have caused   
you..."  
  
Eriol waved a hand dismissively. "It was nothing, Daidouji-san. You were light as a   
feather." He paused, eyeing her closely as she looked down, a faint flush sweeping  
her cheeks -- --. "Although I'm not sure it was such a good thing," he  
murmured pointedly, referring to the fact that she hardly ever finished her meals.  
  
Now it was Tomoyo's turn to wave aside the comment. "I've always been light," she  
told him. "Don't worry, it used to worry my mother a lot as well."  
Eriol nodded, somewhat unconvinced, and then turned around to look at the  
kitchen again, and then look at his two creations. "So who won World War Four?" he  
asked wryly.  
  
Nakuru passionately stuck her tongue out at Spinel. "It WASN'T my fault!" she defended  
herself. "Suppi-chan--"  
"Spinel!" growled the little blue stuffed cat.  
"SUPPI-chan!" Nakuru emphasized purposely, baiting him.  
  
Tomoyo giggled quietly, a sound Eriol barely heard over the noise of the other two, but  
heard it all the same. It was a nice sound actually...better than Spinel's and Nakuru's  
heated arguments anyway..in ways, even better than Sakura-san's..  
  
Eriol forcefully pushed aside THAT thought and turned to her with a small smile. "You're  
actually having fun with them?" he questioned.  
Tomoyo also smiled, at the two fighting guardians. "They ARE very enjoyable company,"  
she said. "You are very lucky..." But does he see that? she had to wonder, sneaking  
a peak at the dark cerulean eyed, emotion-free boy that she was used to.  
  
Eriol shrugged. "They're really the only family I have; I don't really have a choice but  
to put up with them."  
  
Tomoyo's smile grew a little wistful; Eriol thought he knew the reason why. Even if   
it wasn't the standard family, the three were still obviously very close...whereas for  
herself, it was simply her and her mother..and her mother wasn't even home a lot of  
the time. Still that didn't mean that she did not miss her.  
  
In truth, however, next to Sakura's own family, Tomoyo had never seen another as  
close knit as the other three in this room. And she had to admire and envy it a little.  
  
"Master!" Nakuru wailed, snapping Tomoyo out of her reverie. "Make Spinel eat some  
of my cookies! He is being so rude, not eating anything me and Tomoyo-chan made!"  
"I don't mind Daidouji-san's," Spinel sniffed. "She is actually sensible. Hers are un-  
sugared."  
  
Eriol glanced at her, nodding his head. "Very good, Daidouji-san. I never would have  
thought of that," he appraised, then walking up to the table and tryinig both varieties  
of the cookies.  
"I don't see why not," Tomoyo answered. "Spinel still deserves to eat cookies, even  
if he has an allergy to sugar."  
Eriol coughed at that, apparently trying to cover a snicker. "Daidouji-san...I wouldn't  
exactly call it an allergy."  
  
"Observe," Nakuru said with a wink, as Spinel dug into another unsugared cookie,   
completely oblivous of Nakuru's hand until it snatched him up by the wings. He'd barely  
had time to utter a yelp before she picked up a cinnamon cookie--  
  
Tomoyo's face grew alarmed.   
"Nakuru, don't--" was as far as Eriol got.  
  
The moon guardian jammed the biscuit into Spinel's mouth with glee, giggling in delight  
as Spinel started trembling violently in her hands....and then took off like a rocket  
around the room. Tomoyo couldn't even see where he was going, it was just a blue  
blur. Eriol barely had time to pull her to the ground before the guardian would strike her  
in the head.  
  
Eriol glared at Nakuru. "Ruby Moon!" he said reproachfully.  
Nakuru shrugged innocently. "He's so much more fun this way, though!" she protested.  
  
The argument launched off between master and creation, until they heard another  
delighted giggle, which hadn't come from Nakuru. Nor Spinel either, although he was  
quite cheerfully -- drunkenly -- downing the rest of the decorating icing.  
  
It had come from the violet haired girl who had somehow pulled out her camera and  
was now videotaping the argument, as well as the over-exuberant Spinel, while   
panning all over the kitchen, making sure to catch shots of the huge mess...a happy  
smile on her face. "I must say, this IS an unexpected turn of events," she mused, still   
enthusiastically catching them all on film. "An afternoon at Sakura-chan's would NEVER   
have turned out like this."  
  
Nakuru and Eriol could only gaze at her in surprise -- it was the first time she had   
pulled out her camcorder since coming here. Eriol had almost forgotten completely  
about her trademark, he hadn't seen it in so long.  
  
Nakuru's shock instantly turned into delight as well, and she hopped in front of Tomoyo.  
"Tomoyo-chan! Take a picture of me and Suppi-chan, okay?" she declared, picking up  
the sun guardian and flashing a smile at the camcorder. Tomoyo giggled again and  
complied, the camcorder buzzing as it took a snapshot of Eriol's two guardians.  
  
Even before Nakuru had let him go, Spinel fell into a drunken sleep that guaranteed a   
hangover once he woke up. Nakuru chuckled almost maniacally.  
  
Eriol turned to Tomoyo, pointing at the camera. "I haven't seen that thing in a long  
time," he said, arching an eyebrow. Tomoyo chuckled slightly, turning so that his face   
filled the viewfinder of the camcorder. "I really wanted to have a memory of this," she   
insisted. "You should know this by now, Hiiragizawa-kun."  
  
What she said caught up to him. "You actually want to remember your time here?"  
  
She sighed again wistfully. "It reminds me of the times I used to bake in Sakura's kitchen  
with her and Kero-chan," she informed him, with a little smile. "You and Sakura-chan  
are very similar in some ways."  
Eriol smiled also. "I'm guessing I should be honoured by the comparison."  
  
Nakuru was watching their little exchange with a tiny smile, and then glanced up at  
the clock. Well, it seemed that she wouldn't even have to do half the work in her  
plan; in Eriol's case, she knew for sure that the seeds must have already been planted  
unsuspectingly. He was showing tenderness without even knowing it, as he showed  
Tomoyo a burned cookie, ("I'm guessing this was in one of your 'not so better'   
moments.") and earning himself a blow in the chest which couldn't possibly have hurt.  
  
Nakuru giggled; they were even flirting now! In her eyes, anyway. Figures that silly  
Suppi-chan just HAS to be asleep for this, she thought, forgetting completely that  
it was her fault entirely.  
  
Now, to make a few more things change around here.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan, don't you want to go do your homework now?" she asked, her voice   
entirely too innocent for comfort. Eriol was instantly suspicious.  
  
Tomoyo blinked again and glanced at the clock. "I guess it would be a good idea," she  
said slowly. "So that I can get it out of the way." She paused, staring at the small  
stuffed cat that was resting on the table. "Oh, but Spinel-san's asleep, and he usually  
helps me.."  
  
Nakuru's smile slightly resembled that of a cat who had triumphantly caught it's prey.  
"Eriol-sama can help you!" she said brightly. At those words, Eriol gave her a poison-  
dart glare, knowing exactly what she was up to.   
  
Tomoyo turned to look at Eriol, her eyebrow quirked. He simply gave her an apologetic  
shrug.  
  
"After all, he was the one learning this stuff at school today -- of course he'd know  
about it. Don't worry, I'll clean up the kitchen." She practically shooed them out of the  
kitchen, which was something; Nakuru NEVER volunteered for kitchen cleanup unless  
her arm was twisted.  
  
The idea made some sense. Tomoyo shrugged, glancing up at him. "So what do you say?"   
she asked.  
  
Eriol looked at her for a moment, then glanced away. "That would be fine, Daidouji-  
san," he agreed. "Come on, we'll go do it now. It's really very simple."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Daidouji-san was incredibly perceptive. Of course, Eriol had known this from the moment  
he'd met her. But his newfound respect for the choosing of her name was even more  
boosted by her display once they had gotten into her room.   
  
She shut the door behind them, then turned to look at him with a dry expression. "You  
do realize what she's trying to do, don't you?"  
If Eriol was surprised, he didn't show it. "Unfortunately, yes," he replied with identical  
dryness. "I told you it is always safer to stay out of her schemes."  
  
Tomoyo smiled a little at that. "I really don't understand wherever she got the absurd  
idea, but I'll put up with it. Nakuru-san really is very nice." She walked over to the  
bed and sat on it, turning to face him, her face serious. "But," she said warningly.   
"You have to promise that her plan won't work. You have to promise that you won't  
fall in love with me."  
  
"Why Daidouji-san, I'm surprised at you," Eriol said exaggeratedly, his eyes wide and  
voice innocent. "Just what are you accusing me of?" He paused at her confused   
expression, then smirked. "If anyone were to fall in love first, it would be you for me."  
  
For that, he got Daidouji's pillow in his face. "Well, aren't WE modest," she said, annoyed.  
He laughed. "Don't worry Daidouji-san, you can perish the thought," he told her  
teasingly.   
  
She glared at him for a moment, then held out her hand, baby finger raised. "Pinky  
swear," she insisted. The only other person she had ever done pinky swears with was  
Sakura-chan.  
  
Eriol seemed to hesitate for a long moment -- almost as if uncertain -- before hooking  
his own pinky finger around hers. Tomoyo felt a strange tremor down her spine as  
his pale skin touched hers, and then felt annoyed with herself almost immediately  
afterwards.  
  
He brought his backpack over to the bed, sitting across from her as he pulled out her  
work. "As I said, it's very easy," he told her. "We're still doing World War Two."  
As she began doing the assignment that Terada-sensei had apparently assigned that  
day, Eriol leaned back against the headrest, skimming through his own textbook.  
  
After a while, Tomoyo glanced up at him. "Why are you reading it?" she asked curiously.  
"You've been alive through most of the stuff in that book, I would have thought you'd  
know all about it already."  
  
Eriol looked back at her with a smirk. "Oh I do," he responded. "But it is always inter-  
esting to see how the facts have been changed around."  
Tomoyo shook her head and returned to her own work.  
  
After another little while, she looked back up at him, watching him for a while before  
finally being able to push out the words. "...How are Sakura-chan, and Li-kun...and  
the others?" she asked, trying as hard as she could not to choke on her own voice.  
  
Eriol paused before looking back at her, his navy sapphire eyes hiding emotions again.  
"They're alright," he told her. After a moment of her continuous staring, he sighed and  
went on. "Well, it seems they miss you a lot. Sakura-san has been crying a few times in  
class. People are worried."  
  
"And you're okay with this," said Tomoyo, a frosty chill in her voice again, most likely  
induced by the fact that he had caused Sakura-chan to cry.  
  
Eriol sighed, glancing up at the ceiling before putting aside the book and coming to  
her side. "Daidouji-san....you know I didn't choose this. I'm sure Nakuru told you that  
I could have done the memory-erasing spell, but at the risk of losing other memories  
that are most likely very special. You would hate me even more for that, would you not?"  
  
"It's a no-win situation either way," said Tomoyo monotonously.   
"I am very sorry about all this," he said hesitantly.  
Tomoyo said nothing for a while, then slowly nodded. A small sniffle started it all; before  
she even had the time to stop those, the full waterworks had sprung.  
  
Eriol froze at the sight of her tears, once again sending darts of pain through his own  
heart. It was almost like that night he had seen her in the ballroom..except much more  
intense. Maybe because he actually cared about her now. He put a very hesitant hand  
on her shoulder. "Daidouji-san.."  
  
Tomoyo suddenly flung herself at him, clutching him tightly as she sobbed into his chest.  
Eriol was EXTREMELY taken aback, and very awkward. He had no idea what to do if  
girls suddenly started crying on him -- the closest experience he'd ever had was  
Nakuru's random spurts now and then.  
  
So he simply reacted on instinct. Putting his arms gently around her, he stroked her  
very long hair, not saying a word.  
"I...miss them so much," Tomoyo was finally able to whimper out.  
"I know."  
"I've never spent much time with Mama...mostly because she's always at work. I would  
have thought this would be just like another business trip when she was just away...  
but I really miss her...and Li-kun, and Chiharu-chan, Rika-chan, Naoko-chan...Sakura-  
chan..."  
  
She broke off into tears, and Eriol once again didn't say a word, as they sat there like  
that in the approaching night.   
  
After Tomoyo's sobs had receeded to quiet tears, Eriol spoke up. "If it'll make you feel  
better, Daidouji-san, you can hit me again," he offered.  
Tomoyo pulled back and looked at him, as if trying to determine whether he was joking  
or not.  
"I'm serious," he told her, waiting for the blow.  
Tomoyo was actually considering it, before she found that... "I can't," she whispered,  
earning more surprise from Eriol.  
  
"You're right, it's not your fault. It's not mine either, but it isn't your fault that I went  
for a little walk in the woods...it still isn't fair though. And you're hurting Sakura-chan.."  
  
Eriol looked away. "I have stopped causing problems for Sakura-san," he said in a clipped  
tone.   
  
Well, Tomoyo was surprised by this. "Why?" she asked. "Isn't that your duty?"  
Eriol shrugged vaguely. "My business with her is simply complete." It wasn't a complete  
lie; he had pretty much done all he could with Sakura. But mostly what had made him  
stop was Tomoyo's admission of how much she cared about her best friend..and the  
realization that Tomoyo would have never forgiven him if he had mortally injured the  
cinnamon haired girl.  
  
Of course, he ordinarily wouldn't have cared one way or another before...but Tomoyo  
had somehow become the best friend he had, next to Spinel and Nakuru -- whether  
she knew it or not. And he found that he definetly couldn't live with her hating him  
for eternity.  
  
Completely unexpected.  
  
Tomoyo knew he was hiding something, but decided not to push. She simply slid   
farther away back from him on the bed, embarrasment finally catching up to her. "I'm  
sorry," she muttered, her face red. "I didn't mean to cry and get your shirt all wet.." Now  
that what she had done had finally caught up with her, she felt scandalized at herself.  
Really, where WERE her manners? And how did he have the ability to just chase them  
all away, whether in a rage or in acts of kindness?  
  
Eriol rolled his eyes with a grin that was strangely affectionate, something that she  
rarely saw on him. "Daidouji-san, sometimes you are far too proper," he chided teasingly.  
"It's not a crime to cry on a friend's shoulder, is it?"  
  
Tomoyo blushed more as he actually referred to her as a friend...when had THIS   
happened? But in truth, she had simply clung onto him because he was the closest  
thing -- she hadn't wanted to cry alone anymore, she was so tired of being alone...  
but while Eriol could have pushed her away and told her to get over it, instead he  
had actually held her...and made her feel safe, as if she really weren't alone anymore.  
  
Yet the OLD Eriol would never have cared one way or another..  
  
"You're not alone, Daidouji-san," he told her softly, staring intently at her. "I mean it;  
I really would like to be your friend."  
  
Tomoyo's jaw dropped. "You read my mind, didn't you?" she accused, not being able to  
decide whether to laugh or be angry -- as a result, it came out as a mixture of both  
emotions.  
  
Eriol smiled, the epitome of innocence. "It's all in the eyes, my dear," he told her   
laughingly. She stuck her tongue out. "You're cheating."  
"You are very good at reading expressions yourself, Daidouji-san," he replied with a  
smirk, leaning closer to her. "So I'm guessing you aren't so innocent yourself, either."  
  
She froze for a minute as she was trapped staring into Eriol's sapphire midnight eyes.  
Then she blinked, scooting back a little, as she laughed rather nervously. "Stop DOING  
that, Hiiragizawa-kun!" she insisted, referring to the way he kept staring at her intensely  
and MAKING her get trapped. "You are really an incurable flirt." But was it HIS fault?  
  
Of course it was.  
  
Eriol continued to smirk at her. "Does that scare you, Daidouji? Afraid that you might  
be the first to break the promise?" he asked her teasingly.  
  
Tomoyo shook her head quickly, the telltale warming once again sweeping her face.  
"No!" she insisted; he seemed entirely too satisfied with himself. Then she smiled, a  
truly warm smile...like the ones she would reserve for Sakura-chan. She really didn't  
see why there were such similarities between her feelings for Sakura and her feelings  
for Eriol..  
  
"But I would like us to be at least friends as well," she continued. "Even if you ARE  
impossible at times, you are still a very kind person..whether you realize it or not,   
Hiiragizawa-kun."  
  
Eriol once again seemed taken aback, before her smile brightened even more. "And since   
you're my friend, you can help me with the rest of my homework," she insisted, shoving   
the binder closer to him.  
  
Eriol smiled at her. "With pleasure," he replied smoothly, bending over the work as he  
began explaining some things. Too bad Tomoyo wasn't exactly paying attention..  
because her attention was more on her awareness for him more than anything else,  
especially the way he kept smiling oh so disarmingly at her.  
  
And Tomoyo was more confused than she had ever been in her life.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Eriol walked out of Tomoyo's bedroom much later that night -- the two had spent much  
of the evening in there, except for supper, when she had insisted on eating alone.  
There had been a lot about the homework that Tomoyo did not understand. And then of   
course there had been times when they hadn't even been thinking about the homework.  
At least, not him anyways. He had been much more captivated with the way her hair  
flowed in dark glossy waves down her back, the way her eyes glittered when she  
laughed...he had always thought that only Sakura's eyes could possibly light up that  
way, but tonight he had discovered that while Sakura was indeed very cute, Daidouji-  
san was just...beautiful. Because her outer beauty just seemed to reflect the inner.  
  
He felt nothing against her, but he was furious with himself. Why?  
Because over the course of the evening, he had started to suspect that HE was a fine   
one to talk about breaking their promise and fall in love...  
  
It was entirely her fault. And it couldn't be true, either, not possible. He, Hiiragizawa  
Eriol, powerful reincarnation of the great Clow Reed...love was an emotion alien to him,  
wasn't it?  
  
Maybe not...  
  
But Eriol wasn't so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice a dark, giggling figure in  
the shadows of the corridor. He rolled his eyes heavenward. "You're not being very  
subtle, Ruby Moon."  
  
Nakuru came out of the shadows giggling; surprisingly -- or maybe not so surprisingly  
-- Spinel was there with her too.  
"I can't help it, Master!" she squealed. "Awww, you're just so kawaii this way!   
Experiencing your first true crush."  
Eriol frowned at her. "Daidouji-san and I are both onto your little scheme, Nakuru, and  
I'll tell you now that it isn't going to work."  
  
Nakuru shot a coy look at Spinel. "Would you beg to differ, Suppi-chan?" she asked  
airily.   
  
Spinel sighed. "I know I'm probably going to regret saying these words for the rest of  
my life," he muttered, watching Nakuru through narrowed eyes before turning to Eriol,  
completely sincere. "But I have to agree with Ruby Moon. Honestly, Eriol-sama, we've  
never seen you act this way before to anyone, not even Sakura-san."  
  
Eriol glared, and then groaned, rubbing his temples. He refused to reply.  
Nakuru took the silence as a sign of her triumph, and she squealed again, dancing   
around with Spinel. "Aaahh!! It's just the most adorable, sweetest thing I have ever  
seen in my whole entire life!" she gushed.  
  
Eriol just looked at her, still not saying anything. Spinel watched him carefully, taking  
this much more seriously than the moon guardian. "What do you have to say, Eriol-  
sama?" he asked.  
  
Eriol sighed, leaning against the wall despondantly as he crossed his arms. "That I'm  
a complete idiot and I hate myself," he replied quietly. Even Nakuru silenced herself at   
these words, looking at him in curiousity. "Why do you say that?" she demanded   
indignantly, ready to deny it.  
  
"Because I kidnap her, hold her prisoner...and then fall in love with her."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued...........  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: So let's see....am I the only one who thinks that neither of those two are going to  
be able to keep that promise of theirs? ^_~ This was complete fluff...don't worry,  
you'll only have to put up with it for about two more chapters, so hang in there,  
okay? Like I said, this somewhat follows the plot of the Disney movie, and you all  
know that the Disney movie didn't end anywhere near this part ^^. Once again,  
people, please be responsible readers and email me at starviewcom@hotmail.com,  
or if at FF.Net, leave a review. And thank you again, so much, to everyone whose  
given me feedback so far! ^_^  
  
And for anyone whose curious, Tomoyo's name means "Intellectual World" (I've  
always thought it meant "plum blossom" though ^.^)  
  
  
  
  
~Starchick 


	6. Default Chapter

Yup, here we go, fifth chapter! Look on the bright side everyone -- this is the last  
chapter with meaningless mush in it ^^. Well, okay, it's not MEANINGLESS, it's still  
incredibly crucial to the storyline...but the serious stuff will come next. So stick it  
through, everyone! You know, this series is almost done...well, I hope you enjoy  
this chapter as well -- just a note, the next chapter will be up SUPER quick, trust  
me...  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Darn, I STILL don't own Card Captor Sakura, nor Celine Dion's 'Beauty  
and the Beast...so very depressing -.-*, but I'll never stop hoping!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Ever just the same  
Ever a surprise~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nakuru and Spinel stared at their master in silent amazement. They had actually never   
expected him to ADMIT it without them practically breaking his arm-- before Tomoyo, he  
never would have. But it seemed that Tomoyo-chan had taught their master yet another  
new thing.  
  
Daidouji Tomoyo had taught him many things, that he had never expected to know or to   
learn, especially from her after he'd kidnapped her. And that's what had started this  
whole mess. Hiiragizawa Eriol, for the first time in his life, had lost control of his  
emotions, and unknowingly fallen for Tomoyo. Fallen hard.  
  
Nakuru had never been more delighted.  
  
Eriol closed his eyes, sighing again. And on top of all this, he had made a promise to  
her not even a few HOURS ago to NOT fall in love with her...  
  
"What the heck happened to me?" he muttered in annoyance.  
Nakuru came out of her silent shock, and her face lit up. "Tomoyo-chan happened to  
you, Eriol-sama," she said, in a forced quiet voice. She seemed almost ready to burst  
with excitement.  
  
Spinel was staring at him in quiet awe and satisfaction. "Well, at least you're not lying  
to yourself," he remarked.  
Eriol glared at the floor. "But I CAN'T be in love with her!" he insisted.  
  
"Tell that to your heart, see how easy it is," Nakuru trilled, dazzled again at the  
romantic drama that was unfolding in front of her. "My gosh, this is better than ANY  
movie!"  
  
"Ruby Moon!" Eriol snapped. "This isn't funny, you know."   
Nakuru paused, blinking in surprise at his sudden anger. Spinel shot them both warning  
looks. "Ruby Moon, this isn't a frivilous thing," he told her again. "Eriol-sama is not  
very comfortable with this--"  
  
"Understatement of the year," Eriol said ironly. "I just promised her to NOT fall for her."  
"Eriol-sama, really!" chided Nakuru. "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."  
Eriol's icy look was enough to subdue her -- she was familiar enough with that look to  
know it meant 'back off before you cease to exist'.  
  
Eriol leaned against the wall again, eyes fastened on the carpet of the hallway. "I  
shouldn't be feeling this way," he murmured quietly..and very uncharacteristically. "I'm  
the reincarnation of a powerful sorcerer...she's an ordinary girl..I KIDNAPPED HER...and   
especially after--"  
  
He cut off abruptly and winced at the mention of his old "crush". Spinel and Nakuru  
shared worried and sad glances -- Eriol didn't have to say anything. They knew.  
  
"I'm going to my study," he said in a clipped tone, then walked off down the hallway,  
leaving Spinel and Nakuru to look after him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"You see, Ruby Moon?" Spinel barked as soon as the polished-wood door of the study  
had slammed behind Eriol. "Your dumb scheme has already started to cause disaster."  
  
"Hey, it's working!" Nakuru countered heatedly.  
"Yeah, at the expense of Eriol-sama's happiness," Spinel retorted archly.  
"What the heck does that mean?" Nakuru demanded. "He IS happy -- he just won't let  
himself admit it."  
  
"It's PAINFUL, Ruby Moon," Spinel said in clipped tones. "Remember Kaho? This is all  
bringing back memories of her. And you KNOW how confused she left the Master."  
  
Nakuru silenced at that as they both remembered the ruby-haired, tawny cat-eyed  
woman that had been Eriol's home tutor back in England, as well as an accomplice in  
Sakura-san's mission. They both remembered how Eriol had -- seemingly -- slowly, but  
surely fallen for her...but when he'd told Kaho, and she'd rejected him (gently as   
possible of course), she had left him INCREDIBLY confused.  
  
"I...I know he still thinks about her," Nakuru spoke up hesitantly. "That's why he came  
home feeling so sorry for Sakura-san that one day, when Tsukishiro-san rejected her --  
it reminded him of the way Kaho-sensei turned him down."  
  
Spinel nodded, remaining quiet.  
"But I don't see why--"  
  
"Ruby Moon! She practically told the Master that he COULDN'T fall in love!" Spinel shot  
out again.  
Nakuru's jaw dropped. "She did not!" she said furiously.  
  
Spinel shook his head. "No, technically she didn't, but that's the way he's seen it for  
the past year," he reminded her, with forced patience. "She didn't simply tell him  
that he was at a young age and couldn't tell the difference between love and a crush--  
that would have been cruel and untrue. But she basically told him that he was only  
attracted to her because of her power, and the fact that she stood as some kind of  
mother figure to him, since he'd never had one before. And besides us, she was the  
first person who knew that he was really Clow Reed-sama...."  
  
"She NEVER said that he couldn't fall in love," Nakuru said bitingly. "She simply said that  
he would KNOW when he fell in love, because it would just click instantly -- and he   
would be able to tell that it was different from a simple infatuation. And that he would  
find the person he loved eventually -- but it just wasn't her."  
  
"From Eriol-sama's point of view, he basically saw just the rejection," Spinel reminded  
her yet again. "And she never told him HOW he would be able to know that he was in  
love, and how it would be different from a crush...he thought he was in love with   
Mizuki-sensei, but THAT simply turned out to be a crush, so he basically drew the   
conclusion that he could not fall in love. Of course, it does not help that he's been  
plagued with the fact that he's Clow Reed for his entire life, and Clow-sama never fell,  
in love."  
  
Spinel nodded in conclusion, crossing his legs as he meditated in the air. He knew all  
this because while Ruby Moon had simply been created to be his other moon guardian,  
he himself had been designed to understand Eriol-sama completely. Although most of  
the time, it seemed that Eriol did not want to be understood.  
  
Nakuru sighed, frustration laced in. "But don't you see, Suppi-chan?" she said, narrowing  
her eyes at the blue cat guardian. "It's DIFFERENT with Tomoyo-chan. Eriol-sama  
never showed Kaho-sensei his music -- he never even shows it to US. And are you  
blind to the way he looks at her?"  
  
Spinel paused in hesitation -- she was right...  
  
Nakuru smiled in triumph at his silence. "Then can't you draw the ONLY conclusion? This  
is what Kaho-sensei was talking about! This is IT!" She clicked off on her fingers. "It's  
different from his crush. It clicks instantly -- well, almost instantly, I guess they had  
to become friends first --" she cut off abruptly, and looked dreamily up at the ceiling.  
"Just like me and Touya-kun. See, that's how REAL love should be!"  
  
Spinel rolled his eyes; for goodness sake, it was always just in one ear and out the  
other with Ruby Moon. "Tell that to Kinomoto-san," he muttered, then floated off down  
the hallway. "I'm going to bed. I still think you're making a huge mistake, though."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Eriol was up rather early the next morning, considering that it was a Saturday. At least,  
early for him. Not surprisingly; all together, he had probably gotten about five hours of   
sleep the night before. Either way, it didn't matter. Whether awake or asleep, his mind   
had been haunted by an ethereal angel with the brightest amethyst eyes he'd ever seen.  
One which resided not far away from his bedroom. Against her will.  
  
He wanted to kick himself. Now he couldn't even get her out of his head. What, did he  
WANT to get hurt again?   
  
But she was just so amazing...something else really..  
  
"I can't fall in love," he repeated dully to himself, for what seemed to be the millionth  
time since just five in the morning. And it was only seven now. He sighed, running a hand  
through his dark cerulean hair in agitation.  
  
"I don't see why not," said a voice from the shadowed windowsill. Eriol turned to see   
that Spinel had once again claimed his territory with yet another thick book.  
"Why are you up so early?" he demanded.  
  
Spinel snorted. "Really Eriol-sama. How do you expect me to sleep with THAT?" And he  
gestured over to the loud noises that were coming from within the kitchen doors.  
Nakuru was making breakfast.  
  
Eriol sighed again, opting for the 'no comment' choice. He sat down at his red Throne of   
Evil, crossed his arms and stared at the floor, silently subdued as he was once again lost   
in thoughts that were so much more evil than usual..dangerous to himself, really.   
  
Spinel made a sound of frustration; that was IT. He couldn't stand to see his Master  
tearing himself up like this. He now somewhat understood what Ruby Moon had been  
feeling this whole time -- he just wanted to see Eriol-sama happy, truly happy, for  
once.  
  
"Eriol-sama, it's not a crime to be in love," Spinel told him as gently as possible. "Ruby  
Moon is, somewhat, and she doesn't mind letting the world know."  
  
"That's not love, it's a 'crush'," Eriol said quietly, then clenched his eyes shut. "But she  
thinks it's love. See, how are you supposed to KNOW? Sakura-san thought she was  
in love too, but it turned out a simple infatuation. My little distant relative, Mei-Ling,  
had a crush on Xiao-Lang...or was that love?"   
  
Giving up, he rubbed his temples in frustration. "Clow-san was right not to get involved  
in this. It's entirely too confusing, and nothing comes out of it."  
  
Spinel rolled his eyes. "Nothing except complete happiness," he pointed out.  
"You've got to be really lucky to find that happiness," Eriol retorted. "There's no real   
reason for it; Clow-san lived without it and he was happy."  
  
"Eriol-sama," Spinel said slowly, settling on an example. "What about your little relative,  
Xiao-Lang-san? You know as well as anyone does that he's in love with Sakura-san,  
don't you?"  
  
Eriol nodded slowly. "And.."  
"And that DEFINETLY is not a 'crush'," Spinel continued. "He constantly puts his life on  
the line for her without the slightest complaint, and still remains by her side, although  
she supposedly loves Tsukishiro-san. Because he wants her to be happy, and that's  
all. No one would do that for a simple crush. Would you do that for Mizuki-sensei?"  
  
Eriol remained silent, a negative response. But that wasn't anything really -- he most   
likely wouldn't do that for ANYBODY, except Spinel and Ruby Moon.  
  
Spinel smirked as he read Eriol's expression. "If that's the case, Eriol-sama, think about  
Daidouji-san being in danger," he said calmly, trying his best not to snicker as Eriol  
turned to him wide eyed, revealing slight fear. "Think about her even dying....maybe  
even at your hands--"  
  
Eriol shot up from his seat, a cold dark fury in his eyes. "Stop it right now, Spinel Sun,"  
he ordered. "I would NEVER hurt--"  
  
"You would do anything to save her," Spinel finished for him, rather calmly considering  
the way his master was looking at him. "Don't deny it -- I'm not in the mood to run a   
test. And though you may not have noticed it, Ruby Moon and I have certainly noticed   
the resemblance between the way Xiao-Lang looks at Sakura, and the way you watch  
Daidouji-san." He paused. "Besides, your little outburst just now certainly didn't help  
YOUR case."  
  
Eriol sighed in defeat, crossing his arms again as he sank back into the red armchair.  
I'm completely losing it, he concluded simply in his mind. It was actually true -- just  
the thought of Tomoyo...and he was already lost.  
  
Spinel watched his master for a while before breaking the silence. "I repeat, Eriol-sama,  
it's not a crime to be in love."  
  
"Well, in this case it is, Spinel," Eriol told him sharply. "We're completely different. I'm  
holding her hostage. She.." Here he trailed off. "She's already in love...with Sakura-san."  
At Spinel's impending outburst he held up a hand, silencing him. "It would only disturb  
her if she knew. And besides, I made her a promise..and I don't break promises.   
Especially not one like this."  
  
Spinel scoffed. "A little too late for that, don't you think Eriol-sama?"  
"It's just a crush," Eriol insisted. "I've had that before...and I can handle those. And I'll  
get over it. No problem."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tomoyo descended the stairs, reaching the bottom just in time to hear murmured   
voices in the living room. Her eyebrow rose in curiousity as she heard her name being  
spoken.  
  
She pushed open the door. "Yes?" she asked. "Did someone call me?" She blinked in  
surprise as Eriol suddenly shot up from the large red chair, his face turning strangely  
red for some reason. And Spinel seemed to be holding back an uncontrollable burst  
of laughter.  
  
"Daidouji-san, good morning," Eriol said in stiff politeness.  
Tomoyo turned her amethyst eyes on him, worry crossing her features. "Hiiragizawa-kun?"   
she questioned. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Why do you say that?" Eriol asked, eyes widening.  
"Your face is all red...do you have a fever? Do powerful magicians even get fevers?"  
Spinel let out a peal of laughter, a sound that rarely seemed to come from the ever-  
cynical guardian, and Eriol shot him a poison-dart look.  
  
Tomoyo raised an eyebrow at the interaction, then shrugged; probably some kind of  
inside joke.   
  
"Of course they get fevers, Daidouji-san," Eriol explained, losing the red hue. "How do  
you think Clow-san died in the first place?"  
"What are you doing here anyway?" she wondered. "Don't you have school today?"  
"It's Saturday," Eriol pointed out.  
  
Nakuru bounded into the room before anything else could be said. "I made breakfast,  
it's ready!" she shrilled. Then her eyes glowed again at the sight of her master and  
Tomoyo. "Tomoyo-chan, Eriol-sama, good morning!" she greeted, hugging them both  
at the same time, which drew them close together. Tomoyo noticed that Eriol seemed   
a bit flustered...Nakuru wasn't squeezing THAT hard.  
  
The long haired guardian ushered them all into the kitchen. "See?" she said in triumph.  
"A deluxe Saturday morning meal, compliments of the chef of Hiiragizawa Manor." She  
bowed graciously.   
  
"Took you long enough?" Spinel asked dryly, pointing to the clock. "You've been cooking  
since five am."  
Nakuru stuck her tongue out. "WHY do you always have to criticize everything I do?"  
she demanded.  
"There's a lot to criticize," Spinel replied seriously, sitting on the table next to Tomoyo,  
who laughed at him.  
  
"That's not fair, Spinel-san," she said. "Nakuru-san, this does look really good."  
Nakuru beamed. "Thank you, Tomoyo-chan! See, at least SOME people appreciate me  
around here."  
  
Breakfast was a surprisingly quiet affair. And then it wasn't until it was over that   
Tomoyo had realized what she was doing -- this was actually the first time she had  
ever eaten any of her meals here with Hiiragizawa-kun. Who, by the way, was looking  
at her with a smirk of satisfaction. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling.  
  
"So what's everyone doing today?" Nakuru asked brightly. "I'm going over to the mall  
later -- Touya-kun's gonna be there! Tsukishiro-san too, but I can get rid of him." Her  
eyes got that mischevious glint again; Tomoyo winced inwardly before she even said  
anything.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"You know, Tomoyo-chan, I just remembered that you haven't had a tour of this   
entire place yet," Nakuru mentioned in a coyly casual voice as they all stood up from the  
table. "It's too bad, too...this place is really big, and I'm sure there are lots of places that  
you would enjoy. And you should know your way around -- who knows how long you'll  
be staying here, right?"   
  
This time Tomoyo winced visibly; Eriol fixed Nakuru with another look that promised  
death.   
"I don't suppose a tour is such a bad idea," Tomoyo said hesitantly, chancing a glance  
at Eriol -- yes, he seemed to know what was coming next as well.  
  
"Eriol-sama, you can show Tomoyo-chan your garden!" The moon guardian exclaimed  
cheerfully. "She hasn't seen that yet, have you Tomoyo-chan?"  
Tomoyo was gazing at Eriol in surprise -- he was the last person she'd ever expect to  
care for a garden, yet it somehow seemed so fitting for him.  
  
"Besides Tomoyo-chan, you've been inside for a really long time, you should get some  
sunlight," Nakuru suggested. "It's really not good to be blocked from the world for  
such a long time. A walk in the garden is a good idea; it's pretty big, so you'll be outside  
for a while, but no one will be able to see you."  
  
Tomoyo was about to make a dry comment when it suddenly died in her mouth with  
one glance at Hiiragizawa-kun -- he was giving off warning vibes again. Tomoyo wisely  
kept quiet. It was a pity that other people in that room didn't share that same   
wiseness.  
  
"You can start right now!" said Nakuru insistently. "The garden will take you at least  
an hour, if not more -- and then there's still the rest of the house." She suddenly  
grabbed Spinel by the wings. "I still have to go decorate some of the cookies that I'm  
gonna give Touya-kun! Suppi-chan is going to taste-test them, aren't you Suppi-chan?"  
She gave him a threatening glare.  
  
Spinel gave a long-suffering sigh -- the things he did for his Master's happiness. "Yes,  
Ruby Moon, I will," he agreed slowly, trying to ignore Eriol's and Tomoyo's suspicious   
and surprised looks.  
  
"Well that's fabulous!" Nakuru gushed, clapping her hands. "We can start right away,  
after I clean up the kitchen. WHICH, I don't need your help for, you two -- I know how  
to clean a kitchen." She shoved the younger two out of the kitchen and into the living  
room, and then bounced away.  
  
Tomoyo was silent for a second, then, "Do you get the feeling that this is a conspiracy?"  
Eriol nodded dryly. "I didn't know Spinel was prone to suicide," he said lightly, then  
gestured for her to come away with him. "Well, we might as well start this tour, so that  
they may finally leave us alone."  
  
"Nakuru-san doesn't seem like the type to give up so easily," Tomoyo reminded him,  
falling into step beside him.  
Eriol smiled faintly, not looking at her. "She isn't...but a tour is not such a bad idea. I  
guess you have to learn to find your way around here sometime."  
  
Tomoyo paused. "Because I'll be here for a while?" she asked him finally, in a quiet  
voice. She felt his eyes on her, and he sighed. "I don't know, Daidouji-san," he murmured;  
it sounded slightly strained.  
  
She spoke up again after another little while. "You've never seemed the type to have  
a garden."  
They approached what appeared to be the back doors, and Eriol was apparently feeling  
rather lazy today, because he simply waved a hand and the door opened by itself.  
Tomoyo rolled her eyes, and Eriol glanced at her. "What?"  
  
"Never mind," she said wryly, pushing past him.  
"Oh, I see," he drawled from behind her. "You think I'm flaunting my powers."  
"You've always been a show-off," she stuck her tongue out at him, before stepping out  
onto the porch. She gazed around in shock -- for some reason, she hadn't been   
expecting such a big garden. But this was about the size of a small park, with little  
trails leading to all the different sections.  
  
"You like it?" Eriol asked nonchantly, shutting the back door behind him as he followed  
her onto the porch.  
  
She could smell at least thirty different scents in the air, which all blended together  
perfectly as they drifted on the light breeze. Tomoyo closed her eyes momentarily,   
trying to pick the different smells apart to see which flower they belonged to...it was  
impossible, they were mixed together so wonderfully. Hiiragizawa-kun had to be a very  
good gardener to have the plants all flourishing at their best this way.  
  
"Why thank you, Daidouji-san," his voice came from behind her, laced with teasing  
amusement. She frowned. "For the last time, Hiiragizawa-kun, stop reading my mind."  
"And again, Daidouji-san, I have done no such thing," Eriol said smoothly in his defense.  
"It is not my fault that you are so easy to read."  
  
She was quite taken aback by this; one of the things she prided herself most about was  
her ability to hide away her true feelings very carefully, usually so that Sakura-chan  
would continue to believe that "everything was just fine".  
  
Tomoyo turned to him with a dazzled smile. "But it IS wonderful, Hiiragizawa-kun," she  
admitted easily. "I see you must care very much for this garden; it already seems  
beautiful and I haven't even seen the whole thing yet."  
  
Eriol seemed to be stunned by her smile for a moment, before shaking his head as if to  
clear something away and leading her down one of the paths. "It IS very relaxing," he  
replied. "I do enjoy doing it a lot. Come on, you have much to learn."  
  
Tomoyo smiled teasingly at him as they drifted down the paths lined with sonomis. "I  
had no idea that this was going to be a lecture," she said reproachfully. "You could   
have warned me to bring a notebook."  
  
Eriol pointed to one of the sonomis, apparently ignoring her. "Alright Daidouji-san, what  
do you know about sonomis?" he asked her with a slightly quirked eyebrow -- his usual  
'I know all see all' manner. It was unsettling how that look seemed to infuriate her  
and yet draw her...two incredibly opposite emotions. What was the matter with her?  
  
Tomoyo pulled herself back to the present long enough to respond to his question.   
"Umm....not much, except that my mother is named after them."  
Eriol smirked affectionately...again. "So I've noticed." He then began to drawl on about  
all the facts and history of the sonomi...yet Tomoyo wasn't getting bored at all. On  
the contrary, she was very amazed by his vast knowledge of flowers...especially  
considering the fact that he was an evil sorcerer. How many evil sorcerers knew so  
much about gardening?  
  
"Very impressive," she said, whistling softly and clapping when he was done. Eriol just  
gave her another smirk. "This is nothing," he told her, clasping her hand and leading  
her down another path.  
  
Tomoyo was feeling strange tremors down her spine, which began to confuse her --  
it was such a nice day outside, especially for early spring. Even more strangely, the  
tremors were originating from her arm...no, her hand...she glanced down -- right where  
Hiiragizawa-kun's hand was holding onto her own.  
  
Uh oh...  
  
They were in the patches of nadeshikos now, the pink flowers blooming very prettily  
as sunlight dappled down on them from the various trees which decorated the garden.  
Tomoyo blinked, staring around her. "Wow, these are even lovelier than the flowers at  
the Nadeshiko festival," she praised.  
  
Eriol just shrugged modestly. "I have a vast collection of different flowers from different  
places," he explained. "And the nadeshiko is very beautiful."  
"You care for them so well," Tomoyo noted, kneeling down to examine them more closely.  
She glanced back up at him. "Is gardening one of your other favourite things? Next  
to piano, painting, and baking?"  
  
Eriol seemed surprised momentarily before giving a small smile. "You're getting to know  
me too well, Daidouji-san."  
"Is that a bad thing?" she wanted to know, half serious. He actually seemed to consider  
it, then shrugged it off. "Depends on one's perspective," he responded, then proceeded  
onto a lecture of the nadeshikos.  
  
Tomoyo stood up after a while, brushing herself off. "You really SHOULD have told me  
to bring a notebook," she chided. "This stuff is very interesting, but I'll never remember  
it all."  
  
"Oh, you have a pretty good memory, Daidouji-san," he told her. "It'll be no problem  
for you." Taking her hand yet again, he led her through a small grove of bushes and  
white arches to yet another garden. Once again, she was getting that trembling   
sensation in her body, sprouting from her hand...she wondered briefly if she should  
simply take her hand out of his grasp, but then decided that it would only be rude.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hiiragizawa-kun had not been kidding when he said he had a vast collection, from many  
different places. There was a gathering of touyas, fujitakas, wisteria, petunias,   
perennials, violets, sunflowers, zinnias...fiery red and orange lotuses as well as peonies   
from China, marigolds and chrysanthemums from England...and also, a large number  
of herbs from different places -- garden mints, chamomile, caraway, almost everything.  
Tomoyo had never seen anything like it. But she wasn't even half as impressed by this  
as by the fact that he knew a large amount of information for every single plant they  
passed.  
  
And they hadn't even finished the tour of the garden yet.  
  
"This is amazing," Tomoyo enthused for the umpteenth time, skipping down another  
path and leaning down to get a better look at the moonflowers. Eriol gave a small smile  
towards her, at the way her face was completely lit up in delight, her eyes shining  
naturally in the sunlight...for once, not hiding anything away from the rest of the world,  
and therefore showing the innocence of a child. And Eriol suddenly found himself finally  
enjoying the strange feeling in the deep caverns of his heart.  
  
("The experience of being in love is happiness.")  
  
She was indeed so very wise.  
  
"What's this?" Tomoyo asked him, turning the corner into another garden and pointing  
at the herbs. "No wait -- they're rosemaries, aren't they?"  
Eriol smiled again and nodded. "Very good, Daidouji-san. But they're actually from two  
different places." He pointed at the ones on the left. "Those ones are French -- they're  
from France, of course."  
  
"I recognize them," Tomoyo told him. "I saw them once, when my mother took me along  
with her on a business trip to Loire Valley."  
  
Eriol nodded in agreement. "Loire Valley is a very nice place for flowers -- I got the  
lavenders from there." He gestured to the purple herbs across the path. "The other   
rosemary are from Italy."  
  
"Nakuru-san mentioned once that you have been to Venice, Italy," Tomoyo mentioned,  
remembering the facts from deep in her memory. "Was it nice?"  
"It was a very relaxing place," Eriol told her. "Although it DID tend to get very hot,   
especially in summertime."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes went starry, much like when she was watching Sakura. Except for once,  
Sakura-chan wasn't anywhere around. "I would love to go there sometime -- I have  
been abroad a few times, but never to Venice."  
  
"I could take you sometime," Eriol smirked, only a slight teasing note in his voice. She  
stuck her tongue out at him again -- she seemed to do that a lot. But she didn't miss  
a beat. "That would be lovely, Hiiragizawa-kun."  
  
"Venice is gorgeous during the fall," Eriol replied, eyes glowing mischeviously.   
"I'm sure I could get away for a while then," she responded, then brushing the little  
game aside, headed farther down the path.   
  
"Where are the roses?" she wanted to know. "For sure an experienced gardener like  
you would have roses somewhere in here."  
He smiled easily. "Just a little farther down," he informed her, weaving together a few  
strands of lavender blossoms. As she watched in astonishment, he easily made a  
semblance of a necklace out of the herb.  
  
"Wow," she whispered, staring at the work of art in his hands. "How did you do that?"  
She glanced up at him suspiciously. "Magic?"  
He laughed lightly. "Not at all, my dear, just simple expertese." He placed the necklace  
over her head, and it hung down her neck. "Fabulous."  
  
Tomoyo fingered the lavender necklace, furiously fighting the blush that threatened to  
rise to her cheeks and the pounding in her chest that threatened to give her a heart  
attack. This wasn't fair; how was she supposed to keep her end of the promise when  
he was flirting this way...and being so wonderful, not to mention..  
  
They continued down another path, Eriol pointing out the lemon basils and the forget-  
me-nots, which, according to him, also came from England. If his garden here was so  
impressive, Tomoyo couldn't even imagine what the garden back home must be like.  
  
"I think it's wonderful how dedicated to this you are, Hiiragizawa-kun," she murmured  
as they got to the rose patch, and she began fingering a long stemmed rose.   
"What on earth do you mean, Daidouji-san?" he wondered.  
"This is one of your many loves...that you enjoy doing simply because YOU like it."  
  
Eriol glanced away, shrugging. "Clow-san kept a garden as well," he told her. "Ask  
Cerberus and Yue, they know."  
Tomoyo nodded slowly. "I know," she said. "Sakura-chan told me about it. But this   
one is...different, I can feel it. It's got your own personal imprint on it." She smirked  
slightly. "How many people would keep pennyroyal, even though they smell horrible  
and ruin the rest of the garden?"  
  
Eriol laughed a little. "They are very useful," he protested, and she simply rolled her  
eyes.  
  
"The roses are very pretty as well," she said, gazing around at them as she continued  
to finger the one.  
"Thank you, they were--" he cut off abruptly, and she could tell instantly that she had  
reached a touchy subject.   
  
"They were what?" Tomoyo asked slowly, carefully -- no pressure.  
Eriol almost considered telling her, but then shook his head. "Nothing," he murmured  
vaguely. "Careful you don't prick yourself."  
  
Tomoyo let go of the rose, tentatively putting a hand on his arm. "Hiiragizawa-kun,  
remember that I'm your friend? And you're mine?" At his brief nod, she continued with  
a small, yet comforting smile. "Just remember now that friends can tell each other   
anything, okay? Because they can trust each other."  
  
Eriol blinked slowly at her in surprise. "So you trust me? Even though.." he let the   
statement hang.  
  
Tomoyo's smile turned a bit rueful as she thought of the truth in the statement -- for  
goodness sake, she trusted him almost as much as she trusted Sakura-chan now. When  
had THIS occured?  
  
"You may have kidnapped me, but you aren't torturing me," she pointed out, then made  
a face. "Unless you count making me smell the pennyroyal, which was not nice, nor  
funny by the way, Hiiragizawa-kun."  
  
Eriol chuckled gently. "Thank you very much, Daidouji-san." He took her hand once  
again, leading her down a different path. "I haven't shown you the best part of the  
garden yet, though. Follow me."   
  
They went through another series of brush, this time more prickly then the last. "Close  
your eyes," Eriol warned, using his hand to cover them anyway. "It's really thick back  
here."  
  
So Tomoyo had no real sense of direction as to where she was going, until Eriol's grip  
suddenly loosened on her. She furrowed her brow in confusion, and slight disappointment.  
"Hiiragizawa-kun?"  
  
"You can open your eyes now," he said in amusement.  
She did so, and gasped in awe. "Wow...this beats it all, Hiiragizawa-kun!" she exclaimed,  
staring out at the little pond within the clearing of trees, dotted with water lillies, more  
wild chamomile...and the trees which lined the body of water were coated in sakuras  
and plum blossoms.  
  
"I knew you'd like it," he said in satisfaction; just this once, she was able to forgive his  
know-it-all tone. "I know that sakuras are your favourite flower."  
"How?" she questioned without thinking; when Hiiragizawa-kun raised an eyebrow, she  
smacked her forehead. "Oh, right," she murmured.  
  
Eriol simply snickered, watching as she continued to explore every area around the  
pond. There were even a few ducks floating peacefully in the waters.  
He glanced at his watch -- already an hour past noon. Just how had they managed to  
stay so long outside, he had no clue whatsoever.  
  
"So, ready to head back?" he asked her. "We've been out here all morning, and a good  
part of the afternoon too -- we still have to tour the house."  
"Oh yeah, Nakuru-san would never forgive us if we forgot about that," Tomoyo giggled.  
  
Eriol raised an eyebrow again teasingly. "At this rate, I don't think she'd even care,  
considering how much time we've already spent together." A catch in his tone, which  
Tomoyo did not fail to notice. For that reason, as well as others, she couldn't meet his  
sapphire midnight gaze.  
  
"I didn't mind," she said as airily as possible, starting to head back through the thick  
bramble. "Did you?"  
"The company was very nice," he said baitingly. Tomoyo tried to steel herself against  
that comment...no use. Her cheeks flushed, she knew it. Very faintly, but still...  
  
This isn't fair...  
  
"You're cheating, Hiiragizawa-kun," she murmured, not knowing whether to feel angry  
or pleased. Now confusion swept his expression. "Cheating with what?"  
"Never mind," she said dismissively, the second time she had said those words to him  
today. Something wasn't right...  
  
Though Eriol had to admit, Nakuru was right when she'd said that Tomoyo needed to  
get outside. Although she had never exactly looked sick or anything, despite her pale  
complexion...she somehow seemed so much more ALIVE now. He could imagine, after  
weeks of not seeing the sun. What he had been doing really wasn't fair..  
  
It's not my fault, he argued within himself. But still...  
  
("Sakura's happiness is my happiness.")  
  
And Eriol now had to admit, Tomoyo's happiness was also his. Because she was seemingly  
ecstatic now...and that was just how Eriol felt, just looking at her.  
  
"You still smell like the garden," he told her. He noticed her cheeks seemed to turn  
slightly reddish...but that was impossible, Tomoyo certainly wasn't prone to blushing.  
Truthfully, next to him, Eriol had never seen anyone so good at hiding away their   
emotions.  
  
"Probably because of the fact I'm still wearing lavender?" she asked sarcastically,   
shaking the herb necklace at him. He shook his head slowly, teasingly. "No, it goes  
much deeper than just the herb," he told her.  
  
Anger seemed to flash across her violet coloured eyes, quickly replaced by utter  
confusion. He tilted his head worriedly. "Daidouji-san? You okay?"  
  
"Perfectly fine, Hiiragizawa-kun," she replied stiffly, once again pushing past him. He  
turned to watch her in confusion, and she whirled around, smiling once more. It was  
her 'not-so-real-but-needed-to-be-polite' smile.  
  
"So how about the rest of the house?" she asked crisply.  
Eriol shrugged. "I guess we could start in the living room," he suggested, this time  
brushing past her and gesturing for her to follow. "There's not much you've seen there  
except for the piano."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"And so that concludes the tour of Hiiragizawa Manor," Eriol said with a flourish as they  
descended the steps from the third floor.  
"I had no idea it was so...big," Tomoyo murmured, gazing at the paintings lining the  
corridor walls.   
  
She fingered one thoughtfully; Eriol stopped a few steps away and turned back to her  
in faint impatience.  
"You paint extremely well," she said, not bothering to look back at him.  
"So you've said," he replied, arching an eyebrow as he came back to her.  
  
"No, this is better than most of the impressionism artwork that I've ever seen," Tomoyo  
insisted. "And I've seen many -- Mother's favourite type of artwork is impressionism."  
She turned back to the portrait. "One can really get a feel of what Italy is like. It must  
have been gorgeous."  
  
"Oh it was," he told her, also glancing at the picture. "This one I drew in Otona." He  
paused, shifting his eyes from the painting to her a few times. Then he took her by  
the shoulders and steered her gently so that she was up against the portrait. He  
looked at the scene critically.  
  
Tomoyo was practically breathless; she had already started trembling when he'd just  
touched her, and now she had his eyes on her...half of what she was feeling was fear..  
of herself, and why she was letting Hiiragizawa-kun have this effect on her, when the  
only other one who had even come CLOSE to making her feel this way was Sakura-chan..  
  
Eriol watched her calmly for a minute, without saying a word, which continued to   
unnerve her. Then he nodded in apparent satisfaction. "Yes, you WOULD look good in  
Italy, Daidouji-san. I wasn't kidding; if you ever DO want to go see Italy, I can take you   
there myself." A smirk played across his features.  
  
Tomoyo froze at the words, and the tone they were spoken in -- she couldn't quite  
place her finger on it. Flirtation? Yes, but then Hiiragizawa-kun flirted with practically  
anything that breathed. And she didn't want to be just another thing on the list...but  
somehow she felt that it was already a little too late for that.   
  
Well okay, so she was responding to his flirtations -- it was hard not to, with that   
charm of his he held. And according to him, she was now a good friend, so apparently  
she'd be experiencing a lot of this. That wasn't so bad, was it? It didn't mean that she  
was falling in LOVE, did it? Of course not -- she was already in love.  
  
She refused to turn around and face him, partly because her face was heating up for  
sure now, she could feel it. "That's ridiculous," she said shortly. "When would I ever  
find the time to get away?"  
  
"In the fall?" Teasingly.  
She sighed in exasperation, finally eyeing him. "You know perfectly well that I was just  
kidding, Hiiragizawa-kun."  
Eriol just shrugged, a little smile still on his face. "Whatever you say, Daidouji-san."  
  
And she HATED when he said that; as if he knew something she didn't, although Eriol  
seemed to know many things that she didn't, she still didn't want to be reminded of   
the fact.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A door slammed shut on the floor below. "We're home! Eriol-sama, Tomoyo-chan! Where  
are you?"  
  
Eriol and Tomoyo shared a look, he giving her a dry smile. And it was all Tomoyo could  
do to not get trapped in the sapphire orbs again...  
  
This was DEFINETLY cheating.  
  
"Guess we'd better head down, before--"  
"--they slaughter each other?" Tomoyo finished with a small, slightly breathless laugh as   
she descended the staircase. "Nakuru-san, Spinel-san, good afternoon!"  
  
"Good evening you mean," Nakuru corrected.  
"It's still four-thrty in the AFTERNOON, Ruby Moon," Spinel pointed out, looking very  
harrowed and tired.   
"The sun's about to set, Suppi-chan," Nakuru retorted.  
  
For once, Spinel backed out of the argument, looking entirely too exhausted to battle  
wits with the brunette guardian anymore. "Good afternoon, Eriol-sama, Daidouji-san,"  
he greeted with a nod. "I'm going to take a nap -- wake me in time for dinner." Rubbing  
his eyes, he headed off for the living room.  
  
"Nakuru, what did you do to him?" Eriol demanded, looking suspiciously at the tall girl.  
Nakuru blinked innocently. "It's not my fault if Suppi-chan sometimes acts like he's   
forty-five years old, and can't keep up with me."  
  
Eriol cocked an eyebrow and was about to say something, when he caught Tomoyo  
shaking her head at him out of the corner of his eye. "Safer not to ask," she mouthed.  
  
Nakuru skipped into the kitchen, the other two following. "Oooh, guess what? I also  
went grocery shopping -- and I got lots of great stuff! We can eat all fancy tonight!"  
She paused, then turned to the other younger girl. "Tomoyo-chan! Will you pretty please  
join us for supper tonight? You ate breakfast with us today -- it'll be just like that."  
She turned large, pleading cocoa eyes on the violet haired girl, but before she could  
respond, turned to her master eagerly. "Eriol-sama, YOU convince her, I know you  
can!"  
  
Tomoyo shifted her gaze to Eriol, to find that he was staring at her himself, a slightly  
playful smile on his face. When she looked at him inquisitively, he once again bowed  
down with a flourish, taking her hand.  
  
"I would be honoured if Daidouji Tomoyo-sama would grace me with her presence for   
supper tonight."  
  
Just casual flirting, her brain repeated methodically as she tried to calm herself down;  
it didn't help that she was trembling again. But that was okay. She'd never had a boy  
flirt with her this way before -- she doubted many people had.  
  
So she did the only thing that came to mind -- play along with the game.  
  
"Not THIS again," she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "All right, Hiiragizawa-kun, Daidouji  
Tomoyo will join you for dinner tonight." As his eyes began to twinkle in triumph, she  
pulled him to his feet. "Just don't call me Daidouji Tomoyo-sama again -- I get enough  
of that at home."  
  
Nakuru positively shrieked in delight; in the living room, Spinel Sun was jolted rudely  
from the slumber he had fallen into. He fluttered into the kitchen, EXTREMELY grouchy  
and fully intent on giving Nakuru a few scratches on her face; she snatched him out  
of the air the moment he entered the room, swinging him around.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan's going to join us for supper!" she squealed at him. "Eriol-sama convinced  
her -- in the most romantic way possible, I might add." Her eyes were nearly radioactive,  
they were shining so brightly. Tomoyo glanced at Eriol quickly, to find that he was  
simply watching his guardians with a nonchalant expression.  
  
"What did you guys do when we were out? What did you talk about? No wait -- it   
doesn't even matter. This is going to be the best dinner ever! Eriol-sama, come ON --  
you're helping me in the kitchen, since you're the best cook here. Tomoyo-chan...you  
go talk with Suppi-chan in the living room. Show him how well you play piano now or  
something -- this has to be a surprise! I'll come get you when it's time to get ready."  
  
Nakuru literally hurled Spinel down the hallway in the direction of the living room, and  
pushed Tomoyo out of the kitchen, shutting the door tightly. Tomoyo could only blink  
at the closed door for a few minutes, stunned.  
  
"Like a force of nature," she finally murmured, eyes still wide.  
Spinel was shaking his head now to clear it of the heavy dizziness. "Yeah," he groused.  
"But with worse effects than a top-scale earthquake."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued..........  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Jeez...I know that chapter was most likely pointless (doesn't mean you can't   
review!)...but it's called build-up...build up to the climax ^_~ I hope you DO all  
know about the infamous Beauty and the Beast dinner scene...that's your ONLY  
hint! Like I said, the next chapter will be up very soon, so until then, please be  
nice and review to tell me if you liked it (or even if you didn't). ^_^ Thank you  
again to EVERY SINGLE sweet person whose reviewed, especially at FF.Net, you  
are all so great!  
  
Now for the few extra notes. I always thought that if Kaho were to ever turn Eriol   
down because he was too young, she would do it that way -- much the same   
way Yukito did to Sakura ^^. And this is alternate universe...or more likely, MY  
universe ^.^, so that's the way I pictured it.   
  
Also, about that garden scene -- sonomis actually means 'garden flower', so I   
figured it should fit. Nadeshikos and fujitakas are actually flowers too, although I'm  
not sure what kind. Touya is supposed to mean 'peach blossom', so I threw that in  
as well. I didn't know the name for plum blossoms though. Lotuses are usually what  
most people use as Meiling's favourite flower, and the peony is Syaoran's, so I  
figured they must have them in China. Lavender is actually a herb, not a flower  
(I just figured that out ^^). And Loire Valley, France is actually famous for its  
lavender fields. As for all those mentions about Europe and travel -- well, Tomoyo's  
always seemed like the cultural type to me, and Eriol also seems like the type to  
travel a lot, hmm? And as for anything else, please tell me and I'll try to answer  
you, okay?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~Starchick 


	7. Default Chapter

LOL, was this fast enough? Well, I once again told you that the next chapter would be  
up. Before I say anything, I REALLY have to thank every single sweet person who's  
read this story and commented on it...especially at Fanfiction.Net. *cries* I've almost  
got one hundred reviews there! And this is only my second E+T fic ever, too....you are  
ALL so nice, and I can't thank you enough. I especially have to thank you for putting  
up with the seemingly pointless mush...this chapter finally gets back into the plot,   
though ^_^. Sure, it has mush too, but still...you'll see ^~. I really hope you enjoy it,  
and once again, thank you SO much.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: *sighs* I ...don't own Card Captor Sakura, nor Celine Dion's 'Beauty and the  
Beast', nor 'The Simple Things', by Rebecca Lynn Howard and Jim Brickman.  
All fabulous artists that I can never be, but will forever worship ^^*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Ever as before  
Ever just as sure  
As the sun will rise...~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The evening was upon the world, beams of multicoloured sunset streaming in through  
the window of the room which belonged to one Daidouji Tomoyo.  
  
Who, at present, was studying herself in the mirror, incredibly tentative and embarrased.  
Not at herself, of course -- at what she was wearing; a long violet gown with billowy  
sleeves and which reached past her ankles.   
  
For the first time within Hiiragizawa Manor, she was wearing something that wasn't  
hers.  
  
Tomoyo couldn't take it anymore, and whirled to look at the chocolate haired Akizuki  
Nakuru. "Nakuru-san, isn't this a bit much?" she asked frantically. "I'm only eating   
supper with you all. This is far too formal."  
  
Nakuru shook her head, a bright smile fixed on her face. "Of course it is special, Tomoyo-  
chan!" she insisted. "This is to celebrate you and the Master becoming closer."  
Tomoyo blushed faintly at that, turning back to the mirror. "Whatever do you mean by  
that, Nakuru-san?" she asked flustered. "Of course we've become closer -- I've learned  
so much about him lately, even if he HAS kidnapped me."  
  
The truth of those words rang through her heart -- while it seemed on the outside that  
nothing had ever changed between now and a few weeks ago...somehow, Hiiragizawa  
Eriol seemed like a whole new person, if she looked carefully. A whole new person that  
she enjoyed very much.  
  
And maybe, just maybe, she had become a whole new person as well.  
  
"We've been friends for days, however, and you know that," she continued. "What is  
so different now?"  
  
Nakuru clucked her tongue, shaking her head. "It's to celebrate the Master finally being  
so happy -- and all because of you," she squealed. "It's so amazing...I've honestly  
never seen Eriol-sama like this. You should have seen him in the kitchen -- so dedicated  
to everything he was doing, and making it the absolute best he could.." She glanced  
at Tomoyo slyly. "Whatever it is you're doing to him, it must be great."  
  
Tomoyo's jaw dropped. "Nakuru-san!" she protested. "What a thing to say. We're...  
friends."  
"A friend he cares for very much," Nakuru said smartly, nodding her head in satisfaction.  
  
Tomoyo fiddled with a piece of the satin material of the dress. Eriol's own creation   
would know what he was thinking better than anyone...needless to say, it was very  
flattering that she had come to mean so much to Hiiragizawa-kun. He meant a lot to  
her as well...she hadn't been so close to anyone like this, other than Sakura-chan.  
  
Of course, Tomoyo wasn't so dense that she had completely missed Nakuru's implied  
meaning. But she didn't think she minded much.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan, you look BEAUTIFUL!" Nakuru gasped, her eyes shining. Tomoyo turned  
away from the mirror, looking down at the dress as Nakuru gaped over it. "Just like a  
princess."  
  
"Where did you find this, anyway?" Tomoyo wanted to know.  
"Eriol-sama made it for me," Nakuru said matter-of-factly. "A couple years ago. But it's  
too small for me...just perfect for you, though. And it goes SO well with your eyes,  
and your hair, and your skin tone..." Nakuru sighed in utter bliss again. "You're even  
cuter than Sakura-chan!"  
  
Tomoyo flushed again at the compliment, at even being remotely connected to the   
cuteness of her best friend. "Really, Nakuru-san..."  
"No, I'm serious!" the other girl insisted, sitting up on the bed. "I mean, Sakura-chan  
does look extremely cute in those outfits you make for her, but you look fabulous as  
well! So beautiful..." Her eyes went starry again. "Can't wait to see what Eriol-sama  
thinks!"  
  
Tomoyo didn't even want to go there -- she simply sat down on the edge of the bed  
next to Nakuru, drew her knees up, deep in thought. She glanced out the window --  
the town of Tomoeda lay below...she hadn't seen it in so long. Yet here she was,   
about to go to dinner with the boy who had kidnapped her...and enjoying herself.  
  
Yes, enjoying herself. Even she herself couldn't get over the change in Eriol...nor the  
change in herself whenever she was around him. As if she was letting everything go..  
she had NEVER told anyone else about her love for Sakura-chan, not even her own  
mother...yet he knew everything. Only because it was near impossible to hide anything  
from him.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan?" Nakuru broke her out of her thoughts; she was watching her worriedly.  
"Tomoyo-chan...everything's going to be okay."  
Tomoyo just smiled. "Of course they will be." She stood up. "Don't worry Nakuru-san;  
tonight will be fun..won't it?"  
  
"Yes, it will," Nakuru seconded, a twinkle in her eyes. Then she bounded over to the  
dresser and pulled out two silver-purple hair clips. "These will do very nicely," she  
said ecstatically, presenting them to Tomoyo. "Purple is SO your colour."  
  
"I REALLY think this is a bit much--"  
"Nonsense. Now just hold still. You'll be gorgeous."  
  
After Nakuru had finished setting her hair, she stepped back, looking at her masterpiece.  
"Forget princess...you look like a GODDESS!" she near screamed.   
Tomoyo looked into the mirror, and winced. Granted, even she had to admit that she  
looked lovely...but this was STILL too much for a simple dinner, wasn't it?  
  
Before she could protest again, however, Nakuru bounced toward the door. "I have to  
check up on something. But come down in a couple minutes, okay?" Then she was  
gone.  
  
Tomoyo sighed, still staring at the closed door. Then she leaned against the dresser,  
thinking again about the slight tug-of-war that had been going on in her mind since  
the beginning of the day.  
  
Sakura-chan. Eriol-kun.  
  
When had Eriol come to mean as much to her as Sakura did? That was what was   
bothering her; she hadn't even seen it coming. Because Eriol now seemed to be equal  
to Sakura in her mind..and Sakura meant more to her than anything...  
  
Now she was officially scared. Because it was so sure and set in her mind.  
  
She was in love. All over again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Spinel, what is up with this?" demanded Eriol, glaring at his sun creation, and then  
down at the light blue and black dressy outfit he was wearing. He had only ever worn  
it once, that day that Tsukishiro-san had rejected Sakura. "I still think this is a  
bit overboard--"  
  
"I'm under strict orders, Eriol-sama," Spinel said with a smirk, leading him to the bottom  
of the staircase.  
"You're supposed to take orders from me," Eriol grumbled. "And since when did you start  
listening to Nakuru?"  
  
Since she started making sense, Spinel responded silently, but figured that that reply  
would not go over well with the Master. Eriol was already edgy enough about tonight,  
especially after Spinel had dressed him up like this.  
  
"It's for your own good," Spinel simply told him.  
Eriol sighed, rubbing his temples in circular patterns. "Spinel, for the last time...if you're  
trying to set me up with Daidouji-san, she's already in love--"  
  
"Oh, just like you were 'in love' with Mizuki-sensei," Spinel muttered.   
Eriol's eyes darkened. "And what is that supposed to mean?"  
"Eriol-sama, you really need to look deeper into the real picture, if you think 'love' is  
what Daidouji-san feels for Sakura-san," was all Spinel would say. "You shall understand."  
  
And then HE was gone, sailing into the kitchen deftly, to avoid any other questions.  
Eriol lowered his head, sighing in defeat. Shoot..now he couldn't even TRY to hide his  
feelings anymore..because what he felt for Tomoyo was too big to hide.   
  
But there was no questions about it; he HAD to hide it from her. Because he didn't want  
her to be hurt...or go through something similar to what HE had gone through when  
Kaho had rejected him.  
  
And now that he thought about it...Kaho. Now he finally saw what she had meant --  
because compared to this, his feelings for Kaho were small beans.  
  
He glanced up from the carpet when he felt, rather than heard Nakuru skipping down  
the staircase.   
"Tomoyo-chan's coming in just a while!" she told him happily. He raised an eyebrow  
at her suspiciously; so THIS was what she had planned?  
  
"Just wait right here for her," Nakuru ordered, leaning against the railing easily and  
glancing at the top of the staircase expectantly.  
  
A moment later, what seemed to be a blur of purple ran out from one of the doors,   
then stopped abruptly at the top of the stairs. Eriol blinked slowly as Tomoyo came  
into view, wide eyed. She was staring down at him in what seemed to be shock, not  
that he could identify it.  
  
She was Aphrodite. Literally.  
  
There was simply no other way to describe it.  
  
Nakuru gazed from one to the other, and then clamped a hand over her mouth to  
stifle her triumphant and exuberant squeal of satisfaction, not wanting to ruin the  
picturesque moment. It was like out of a fairy tale...even with all this careful planning,  
she NEVER would have expected this from Eriol-sama. She could practically see his  
heart melting as all the walls he'd built around it crumbled like Jericho.  
  
Tomoyo was the first to snap out of her daze, burying her face in her hands to attempt  
to gain a bit of control over the situation that had suddenly spun out of control. She  
should have stayed in her room, said she was sick or something...  
  
"I-I'm sorry, I know," she stammered the first thing that came to mind. "It's a bit much..  
I TOLD Nakuru-san--"  
  
Nakuru glanced at Eriol, who had shaken off the stun spell as well. "But really, Eriol-sama.  
What do YOU have to say about this?" she asked mischeviously.  
Eriol glared at her as Tomoyo descended the stairs VERY hesitantly. "I have to say   
that you and Spinel Sun are way out of line..." he turned to Tomoyo as she stepped  
up beside him, also giving Nakuru a glare.   
  
Nakuru simply winked and took off in the same direction Spinel had disappeared in.  
  
Tomoyo kept her eyes glued on the floor, not even needing to look up to feel his  
probing gaze; those dark sapphire orbs were always intense like that. She also didn't  
want to look up for fear of getting trapped gazing at him again and making a fool of  
herself -- he shouldn't be ALLOWED to look that good. He had cheated somehow...she  
didn't know how, but he had SOMEHOW cheated on their promise and made her fall in  
love with him.  
  
And now she was completely powerless to him, because she had no idea how he really  
felt about her.  
  
"Y..You look very nice." She hated herself for stammering again.  
The playful smile played across his face again. "And you look....stunning."  
  
She buried her face in her hands again; there he went -- how was she supposed to  
NOT fall in love with him? She was only human...it was so unfair..life was always unfair  
like this.  
  
This isn't love, the sensible half of her mind corrected. For sure she was simply respond-  
ing the way anyone would to his flirtations -- she was already in love. And she wasn't  
so shallow as to be in love with two people at once. It was just a crush, that's all. And  
once she saw Sakura-chan again, it would all be over, because she would know with  
absolute certainty.  
  
That thought sent another pang through her -- if that was the case, she hoped she  
saw Sakura again soon..  
  
"Daidouji-san?"  
Tomoyo blinked, realizing that Eriol was watching her with concern. She smiled weakly.  
"It's nothing, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said dismissively. "I was just thinking about some-  
thing."  
  
Nakuru's voice came from the dining room. "Come ON, you two! You can flirt all you  
want once you're at the table."  
  
Tomoyo pretended not to hear that part.  
Eriol offered her his arm. "Shall we go, Daidouji Tomoyo?" he asked, still with that   
mischevious smirk. She glanced at him in surprise, taking his arm.  
"Why that name?" she asked.  
  
"Can I call you Tomoyo, just for tonight?" he asked, rather tentatively, for him anyway.  
Tomoyo blinked at the strange request, but then gave him a smirk of her own. "Only if  
I can call you Eriol-kun," she replied. "It's not fair that Sakura-chan gets to call you  
that, when I'm the one living with you, not to mention the fact that you've been   
attacking her."  
  
Eriol seemed greatly amused by that, his eyes glittering in laughter. Tomoyo was struck  
once again by the change in him when he was like this -- not holding any secrets back  
in the depths of his eyes, but completely carefree and...innocent. And truly innocent --  
Tomoyo knew him enough to recognize that things got dangerous when Eriol got  
"innocent", but she wasn't sensing any real danger now, except for that mischevious  
streak of his.  
  
"All right then," he agreed, brandishing a violet from his garden from seemingly out of  
nowhere. He stuck it in her hair. "Ms. Tomoyo."  
Tomoyo quirked an eyebrow. "Why THAT name?" she asked curiously.  
"That's what you would be called if you lived in England," Eriol explained, steering her  
toward the dining room. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"  
  
Tomoyo shook her head with a chuckle. "I never figured you one for pet names,   
Hiiragizawa-kun," she murmured. "I suppose England must be really nice."  
  
Eriol's reply never came as they both wandered into the dining room and stopped   
short, staring around.   
  
The room was dimly lit, with the lights down low in the far corner of the room, and  
the rest of it lit by the candlelight on the table. The sunset was just slipping even  
lower down the horizon, creating a rather beautiful picture -- if it hadn't been planned  
and meant for them. There were only two places set at the table, at opposite corners.  
  
Tomoyo met Eriol's eyes, both coming to the same conclusion.  
"I knew it," sighed Eriol.   
"Well, I suppose it doesn't take extreme genius," Tomoyo murmured, staring at the  
setting. "They're not being very subtle."  
  
The door that connected the dining room to the kitchen swung open, and Nakuru  
sailed in, made up like a waitress. She smiled a beaming grin at them. "Good evening!"  
  
"Nakuru, what the heck is this?" Eriol demanded with very strained patience.  
Nakuru ushered them both to their respective places at the dining table, all the while  
seeming completely innocent. "It's supper, Eriol-sama."  
  
"Um, why aren't you and Spinel-san eating with us?" Tomoyo wanted to know, already  
hating the answer.  
"Suppi-chan says that he's tired," Nakuru replied smoothly. "Remember, I interrupted his  
nap this afternoon? And I...um, I'm just going on diet! I REALLY want Touya-kun to  
notice me, and I have this fantastic plan! Now you two just sit here, and we'll be right  
back!" She was gone before either of them could say anything else.  
  
Eriol mentally reminded himself to stop lying so expertly around his creations; it was  
rubbing off on them. If Tomoyo hadn't known otherwise, she would almost have believed  
Nakuru.  
  
"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard," Eriol muttered, sliding into the chair. "Nakuru  
doesn't need to go on diet -- I MADE her. She can't gain weight!"  
  
Tomoyo giggled at him from across the table. "Yes, I had to admit that there was   
something fishy about Spinel-san catching such a sudden case of exhaustion; he was  
animated enough a mere few hours ago." She studied the setting again. "Table for two,  
dinner by candlelight. You have to hand it to them..are you sure Nakuru-san's never  
played matchmaker before? Even I never would have thought of this for Li-kun and  
Sakura-chan."  
  
"Nakuru tends to go a bit over the extreme," Eriol explained dryly. Tomoyo nodded in  
understanding.  
  
The kitchen door once again opened, and a large basket of garlic bread seemed to  
float toward them. On closer inspection, they realized that it was actually being carried  
by Spinel Sun.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" Eriol demanded in annoyance. Spinel seemed to  
blanch for a moment. "Um...Ruby Moon woke me up; apparently, this is too much for  
her to handle alone." He quickly darted back into the kitchen.  
  
"Such experienced liars," Tomoyo appraised, shaking her head. "At least I know where  
they get it from."  
Eriol grinned, wincing mockingly. "Ouch. Now that one hurt, Ms. Tomoyo."  
  
Tomoyo couldn't stop the shudder that ran down her spine at the way he said her  
name, his pet name for her, no less. If ONLY it were a shudder of terror...  
"As well it should," she replied to his statement, proud with herself for not missing a  
beat. "It's only the truth."  
  
Eriol just smirked, and then gestured to the bread on the table. Reaching out, he took  
one and tried it. He frowned. "So they're making this a cultural dinner."  
"Either that or just plain Italian," Tomoyo seconded, having reached out and grabbed  
a piece for herself to try.  
  
"Nakuru always did love the Italian kitchen," Eriol remarked ruefully. "And it is Spinel's  
favourite next to Japanese -- he hates sweets, but he loves the different spices used in   
Italian food."  
"My favourite, other than home-cooked naturally, has always been French," Tomoyo told   
him with a smile. "And Italian is very good also."  
  
"Interesting," Eriol mused.  
"What?"  
"French is my favourite as well," he told her with a smile back.  
Tomoyo just looked down at her plate, trying to ignore the fact that they had yet   
another thing in common.  
  
Nakuru sailed back into the room, balancing a tray on her hand. Setting it down on a  
small stool next to the table, she calmly placed a glass of water, and a teacup in front   
of each of them; she put the teapot in the center of the table. Then she smiled sweetly  
at them. "You two don't have to stop talking just because I'm here," she told them.  
  
At Eriol's withering look, she quickly gathered up the tray and the stool and scurried  
back into the kitchen.  
  
"I never knew Nakuru-san was such a good waitress," Tomoyo murmured laughingly.  
"She's done it before; remember that field trip we took to the water park?"  
Tomoyo smirked slightly. "Ah yes, where you nearly drowned poor Rika-chan."  
He winced again. "That hurt too; you really wound me."  
  
She simply stuck her tongue out at him; it created a surreal image against the   
candlelight. Even from the other side of the table, he could still see the hooded gleam  
of her liquid amethyst eyes, shining in the firelight.  
  
Dazzling.  
  
But he really shouldn't think that way.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The two were in the middle of a discussion about England -- basically where they had  
left off before entering the dining room -- when Nakuru and Spinel brought the main  
course meal in. All truth be told, the two had certainly gone all out for this little scheme.  
Eriol KNEW he'd had a right to be suspicious when Nakuru had announced that she had  
gone grocery shopping.  
  
But they could have done a lot worse. This entire night could have been so much worse  
-- he and Tomoyo could have been sitting in silence with nothing to say to each other.  
But that wasn't the case at all. Eriol had always found it easy to talk to Tomoyo   
whenever they'd ended up together over the past week, but it was easiest of all this  
evening -- he hadn't ever opened up to anyone the way he was to Tomoyo right now.  
  
Who, by the way, was laughing at an offhanded comment he had just made about his  
cute descendant. A couple days ago, Eriol had only just noticed that Tomoyo's laugh  
was a very nice sound. Now, it was obviously the best thing he'd ever heard -- it made  
him want to laugh as well.  
  
"I KNEW there was a reason you always seem to pick on Li-kun," Tomoyo giggled. "You  
singled him out from all the other boys in the class."  
  
"Really Tomoyo-san, can you tell me that it isn't fun to torment him?" he asked   
mischeviously, knowing perfectly well that she couldn't; he had seen the way she would  
torture him during one of her various matchmaking schemes.  
  
Tomoyo smiled wryly. "Well, it IS a lot of fun to play with Li-kun," she admitted. "I guess  
I can't blame you for something I am guilty of myself."  
"So true."  
  
"But I do it for a good reason," Tomoyo protested. "He is so in love with Sakura-chan,  
he can't even see straight when she's around! And I know Sakura-chan feels something  
for him as well...but she does tend to be a bit dense; she just doesn't realize it yet. So  
I want him to get her to figure it out before it's too late."  
  
Eriol watched her seriously. "Doesn't it bother you?" he asked her curiously.   
"What?" Tomoyo asked, feining confusion, though she became serious as well.  
"The fact that Sakura-san and Li-kun nearly belong to each other...and you.."  
  
She shook her head before he could finish, already knowing what he was saying. "I  
told you before, Eriol-kun -- if Sakura-chan is happy, that's enough for me. And it's  
also enough for me simply being in love -- that is happiness as well." She studied him  
from across the table. "Haven't you ever felt that before?" This was said carefully --  
she sensed that he had, and it had ended painfully.  
  
He glanced away, a bit of his frigid air returning for the first time that evening. "I don't  
know," he murmured. "Because I can't tell the difference between that and a simple  
crush. That's just it -- how are you supposed to know?" Frustration was creeping into  
his voice, as if he were once again trying to settle an old dispute.  
  
"Eriol-kun..."  
Tomoyo stood up from her seat, ignoring the rest of the food on her plate, and slid   
into a chair right beside his. As he turned to her in surprise, she gently reached for his  
hand and grasped it in her own in her lap, the way she did to Sakura-chan when she  
wanted to comfort her.   
  
Eriol was using his whole being to fight down the flush that threatened to erupt in  
his cheeks. "What?" he asked archly.  
Tomoyo didn't say anything, just continued to look at him steadily. And Eriol couldn't  
stand up against those violet orbs for long.  
  
He sighed, and proceeded to tell her all about Kaho. Everything.  
  
Neither of them noticed when Nakuru and Spinel quietly slunk into the room and remained  
in the shadows as they listened to their master open his heart to the violet-haired  
girl. They could only glance from him to each other in surprise -- this was considered  
Eriol's deepest, darkest secret; he hated it when even THEY mentioned the incident.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When he was done, Eriol couldn't meet Tomoyo's gaze, the familiar confusion, pain and  
anger welling up inside of him. Until he felt her gently put her arms around him in a soft  
hug -- now he couldn't control the blush at all as her body pressed up against his.  
Damn, now he was acting like Li-kun.  
  
Tomoyo pulled back, simply looking at him and not saying anything; her heart welled  
with sympathy for Eriol, who after being such a powerful magician, had fallen in love  
for the first time, and then have been told that it WASN'T love at all...and then coming  
to the conclusion that there was no such thing as real love, and if there was, he never  
would be able to feel it because he was...not himself. Because he was the reincarnation  
of a powerful magician.  
  
Then she took his hand, and though he was surprised he didn't protest as she led him  
out of the dining room and into the ballroom. She led him right up to the piano.  
"Ms. Tomoyo? What exactly--"  
  
"Would you like to play that piece of yours?" she asked calmly, tilting her head slightly  
as she regarded him carefully. He furrowed his brow in deepening confusion. "Um..why?"  
"Please just trust me," Tomoyo responded, arranging herself in the usual spot by the  
grand piano. "I'll sing the words for you again."  
  
Eriol just watched her, deciding not to comment as she leaned against the piano,  
closing her eyes. He looked down at the piano, remembering the tune and calling it  
from within his memory -- he very rarely needed music sheets to play the piano. Neither  
of them noticed when both Nakuru and Spinel snuck again into the ballroom, again  
staying in the dark shadows as they spied on them -- by stroke of genius, the   
ballroom was also low in light as well.  
  
Eriol began to play, and after a few bars, Tomoyo joined in.  
  
  
~Hey  
Time won't wait  
Life goes by  
Every day's a brand new sky~  
  
  
Eriol was still in confusion about what exactly THIS was supposed to teach him, but  
he simply decided to just let himself get lost in the music and in Tomoyo's beautiful  
voice -- strange, how long it seemed since he had heard it, even though it had been  
less than a week ago.  
  
  
~Every tear  
Comes to dry  
All that really matters in this crazy world  
Is you and I together, just remember~  
  
  
In the shadows of the ballroom, Spinel and Nakuru glanced at each other; Spinel was  
nodding in approval, while a happy beam was highlighting Nakuru's expressions -- so  
this was the song their Master and his best friend had written together; it was simple  
to tell. It was so very different from the music that Eriol-sama usually was prone to  
producing.  
  
"How adorable!" Nakuru squealed-whispered.  
  
  
~The first leaves off the tree  
The way you look at me  
A thousand chiming churchbells ring  
The simple things are free  
The sun, the moon, the stars  
The beating of two hearts  
How I love the simple things,  
The simple things just are~  
  
  
And Eriol's two creations actually got the message -- the lesson -- Tomoyo was trying  
to send to their master before he did. Nakuru's face lit up with even more bliss, if that  
was possible, as Spinel continued to nod in satisfaction now. And here Eriol had been  
trying to deny that he was in love with Tomoyo -- how could he possibly not be? She  
had managed to do just what they'd been trying to do for the past two years, ever  
since Kaho. Now if he would just take the lesson...  
  
  
~So here we go  
Let's just dance  
Teach my soul   
To take this chance~  
  
  
Finally, the song was beginning to sound just a little too familiar...and not because he  
and Tomoyo had written it...mostly because it seemed to..relate to his situation right  
now?  
  
Now there was even more confusion than ever. He wasn't completely dense -- he could  
hear the words of the song and knew that they were trying to tell him something..  
  
  
~Put my heart   
In your hands  
Out of all the moments that we leave behind  
Turn around and tell me that you'll remember~  
  
  
She had always been one for the simple things in life...despite all her wiseness, she  
never ignored the little things that people usually paid no attention to -- on the contrary,  
she acted as if they were the major things in life. And she had somehow managed to  
rub that onto Eriol...or else perhaps make him notice that he had always been that way  
as well?  
  
The lesson became clear to him. And he smiled.  
  
  
~The thunder and the rain  
The way you say my name  
After all the clouds go by  
The simple things remain  
The sun, the moon, the stars  
The beating of two hearts  
How I love the simple things,  
The simple things just are~  
  
  
And as the song drew to a close, Nakuru clapped silently in the shadows. "They deserve  
a Grammy for that one," she whispered dreamily.  
  
Back at the piano, Tomoyo trailed off, the way the song was directed, and then opened  
her eyes after the silence. She smiled at Eriol. "Do you understand now?"  
He simply nodded, and her smile turned to satisfaction. "She was wrong to say that it  
was a simple crush -- there really is no such thing as a 'crush'. Just different various  
levels of love...but they are the same emotion."  
  
Once again, Eriol had to marvel on how wise Tomoyo-san was.  
  
Applause came from the side, and Nakuru bounded into the dim light a moment later,  
Spinel hanging from her long braid. "That was AMAZING you two!" she cried, hugging  
them both.  
  
Their Master and the amethyst eyed girl simply stared at them for a moment, before  
Tomoyo sighed, sitting down on the piano bench and deciding to simply give up.  
"Do I even need to ask why you two were spying on us?" Eriol asked wearily, leaning  
against the grand instrument.   
  
Spinel shook his head. "You most likely shouldn't," he suggested. Eriol nodded, taking  
his suggestion.  
  
Nakuru clapped her hands together one last time, briskly. "Well, what would you two  
like to do now?" she asked quickly.  
"I suppose 'leaving' would be a wrong answer?" Tomoyo asked in a dry tone, shaking  
her head slightly. Nakuru grinned. "Ditto."  
  
"Well..." Tomoyo was instantly alert at the mischevious tone in Eriol-kun's voice..but  
she didn't pay it too much attention. Until he spoke again, turning to her in definite  
sneakiness. "We COULD always dance. And before you say anything, Tomoyo-san, I  
should tell you now that it would be futile to insist that you don't dance."  
  
Tomoyo froze at that, and at the undertone she heard in his voice. Then she shot up  
from the piano bench, staring at him wide-eyed before glaring in disapproval. "Eriol-kun!"  
she cried. "You should have TOLD me you were there that night!"  
  
"But you would have stopped," Eriol pointed out in an innocently obvious tone, a pleased  
smirk decorating his figures. Tomoyo groaned, burying her face in her hands. "No   
kidding," she muttered.  
  
"Well?" Eriol asked, holding out a hand to her. "May I have this dance, Ms. Tomoyo?"  
Tomoyo hesitated for just a moment, before taking his hand gently, letting him help  
her up. "But I don't want anyone else to see," she quickly insisted.  
  
"Okay!" Nakuru was practically melting in happiness that her master and the mistress  
of the house were going to DANCE together, just like a true romance movie, she didn't  
even care what she agreed to. What they didn't know couldn't possibly hurt them.  
  
She bounced over to the shelves of cds. "What would you to like to dance to?" she  
asked.  
Tomoyo considered. "Well, that night I was listening to Savage Garden--" she began.  
Eriol shook his head instantly. "That's not fair, Ms. Tomoyo. Because it would be just  
the same as last night...and I want to see what else you can do."  
  
Tomoyo glanced at him. "The only other forms of dancing I do are ballet impressionism,  
and modern impressionism."  
"Well then how about waltz impressionism?" he asked slyly.  
Tomoyo narrowed her eyes at him. "I've never done that..."  
"I'm sure you'd have no problem with it, Tomoyo-san."  
  
Nakuru, who had been sifting through the various discs, smiled in delighted satisfaction  
as she pulled one out. "I've got one!" she told them triumphantly. Skipping over to the  
stereo player, she put it in, humming a tune -- too bad no one paid any real attention  
to WHAT she was humming.  
  
When the music spewed out softly into the ballroom, Eriol and Tomoyo glanced at each  
other, eyebrow raised. "Beauty and the Beast," Eriol muttered. "How...fitting.."  
"That's really not fair," Tomoyo began, but then he put an arm around her waist, taking  
her other hand...and effectively silencing her. Quickly remembering what she HAD been  
taught about waltzing, she placed her other arm around his shoulders.  
  
  
~Tale as old as time  
True as it can be~  
  
  
Nakuru smirked at them, quickly plucking Spinel out of her hair and safely in her grasp.  
"We'll just be leaving now," she told them softly.  
  
If they hadn't already been lost to each other, they probably would have noticed that  
the ballroom doors never did open or shut.  
  
  
~Barely even friends  
Then somebody bends  
Unexpectedly~  
  
  
Tomoyo turned to look up at Eriol with a dry look. "We were definetly set up," she told  
him.  
He nodded. "I never thought that Nakuru would have done this so...efficiently," he  
replied. "Usually by this time the scheme would have gotten far out of hand."  
"You mean it hasn't already?" she demanded.  
  
  
~Just a little change  
Small to say the least~  
  
  
Eriol didn't know how to reply to that for a moment -- if 'out of hand' meant actually  
starting to work...and in this case, it probably did. Because he never would have fallen  
for Daidouji Tomoyo...or would he have? They had barely talked before...but just whose  
fault was it that she had just happened to be wandering around in the forest at that  
particular time on that particular night?  
  
"If you'd ever witnessed one of Nakuru's earlier schemes, you'd know that this is   
practically nothing to what she's capable of," he responded to her earlier statement,  
  
  
~Both a little scared  
Neither one prepared  
Beauty and the Beast~  
  
  
Tomoyo wasn't sure what to do when he pulled her slightly closer..it was just for one  
of the dance steps, but still...she resolved on simply keeping her eyes on her feet to  
make it seem as if she were making sure that she was doing the dance right, even   
though the steps seemed to come naturally to her. She was better at impressionism  
waltzing than she thought she was.  
  
Or maybe that was because of him?  
  
  
~Ever just the same  
Ever a surprise~  
  
  
They stepped back from each other, still held together by both their hands, however.  
Then she glided easily behind him, coming around to the other side...all the while being  
extra careful not to look up at him.  
  
  
~Ever as before  
Ever just as sure  
As the sun will rise~  
  
  
As the interlude arrived, she took his one hand as he twirled her under his arm and  
coiled her out.   
In the shadows once again, making absolute sure neither she nor Spinel could be seen,  
Nakuru gasped in awe. "Aren't they absolutely beautiful together, Suppi-chan?"  
  
Ignoring the nickname, Spinel nodded slowly in agreement, his eyes also fastened on  
the pair. It was true; they did look extraordinarily good on each other.  
  
  
~Ever just the same  
Ever a surprise  
Ever as before  
Ever just as sure  
As the sun will rise~  
  
  
As the end came near, the final small interlude, he once again pulled her back close to  
him, turning her around so that it was her back pressed against his chest. At least  
she wasn't looking at him, but...  
It's just part of the dance, it's just part of the dance, her mind began chanting again.  
  
  
~Tale as old as time  
Tune as old as song  
Bittersweet and strange  
Finding you can change  
Learning you were wrong~  
  
  
Tomoyo suddenly stiffened a bit; as he turned her back around to face him, she caught  
the curious concern on his face at her sudden rigidness. She simply smiled at him,   
brushing off the concern...her only real problem was that THAT particular line had  
somehow seemed to remind her of what she was going through now...although that was  
a bit silly, wasn't it? In truth, the whole song should have been doing that.  
  
  
~Certain as the sun  
Rising in the east  
Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the Beast~  
  
  
Spinel glanced over at his companion momentarily, then did a double take as he realized  
what it was she had in her hand. "Um, Ruby Moon? Where did you get that camcorder?"  
he demanded warily, eyeing the moon guardian strangely.   
  
"I've always had it," Nakuru told him innocently, with a devious smile as she recorded  
the oblivous couple on tape. "Don't you remember? Eriol-sama gave it to me for   
Christmas as a joke just last year. And now I'm finally putting it to good use; won't  
he be pleased?" She cackled quietly.  
  
Spinel shook his head, backing slightly away from the brunette. "Honestly Ruby Moon,  
I think Daidouji-san is rubbing off a bit too much on you."  
  
"I finally understand why she loves videotaping so much," Nakuru told him. "I would love  
to have a memory of this for eternity as well."  
  
  
~Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the Beast~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A little while later, Eriol and Tomoyo stumbled out onto the second floor balcony, Eriol  
quickly sliding the glass door shut and locking it behind him, all in an attempt to escape  
Nakuru.  
  
"I never realized just what Sakura-chan and Li-kun go through whenever I do this to  
them until now," Tomoyo exclaimed breathlessly, as Eriol took her hand and steered them  
both into the shadows on the balcony, so they wouldn't be visible from the inside.  
  
Eriol glanced at her in surprise. "Does that mean you're going to stop?" he asked her.  
Tomoyo smiled mischeviously. "No."  
"I suppose it IS too much to hope for," Eriol rolled his eyes with a grin.  
  
Then silence fell, as they both looked out into the night, over the garden. It was warm   
out, although the sun had long since set. Tomoyo guessed that it was probably around   
nine 'o clock at night.  
  
Nine o' clock on a Saturday night...Tomoyo's mind flashed back to what she usually  
would be doing on a Friday night. Most likely sleeping over at Sakura-chan's house,  
giggling as Kero screamed about losing at another video game, while Sakura continued  
to sneak snacks up to the bedroom for them all.  
  
Strange...the pang of nostalgia was somehow dulled, even though it was SAKURA-CHAN  
she was thinking about.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Eriol; he had his gaze up on the stars  
above, a thoughtful, musing look on his face. Her breath caught in her throat   
involuntarily as the thought flitted across her mind: he was very pretty. Not just cute-  
handsome-pretty...no, more like BEAUTIFUL. Most girls probably couldn't look that  
beautiful even if they tried.  
  
Once again, Tomoyo found herself trembling, the same way she had after their little  
dance in the ballroom. She willed herself to stop before Eriol noticed.  
  
It was the longest silence they'd had all evening.  
  
Finally, Tomoyo dared to break it. "What are you thinking about?" she asked softly,   
gazing up at the sky herself. She leaned against the railing slightly as Eriol turned his  
eyes on her -- she hadn't thought it humanly possible, but the midnight cerulean orbs  
were even MORE dazzling with the glow of about thirty different stars in them.  
  
He didn't respond for a while, and then, "Not much. Just about how much lovelier the  
sky would look if all those stars were shooting across it."  
Tomoyo blinked, taken aback by his response, then looked up at the sky. She nodded.  
"Yes, it would be astonishing," she agreed, then sighed. "But that's asking for a meteor  
shower -- those happen about once every fifty years or so."  
  
The smirk played across his face again. "Do you like meteor showers, Ms. Tomoyo?"  
Tomoyo nodded again. "At least, I suppose I would if I ever got to see one," she said.  
"The pictures I have seen of them are wonderful."  
  
Eriol didn't say anything, and Tomoyo turned her gaze back to the sky, wondering at the  
strange exchange. So she happened to miss seeing the first star shoot across the sky;  
however, she certainly caught the second; and the third, and the fourth, and the fifth...  
  
The girl gasped, jumping back slightly as she stared at the sky, wide eyed and stunned  
beyond words as one star after another shot across the navy canopy.  
"I...I don't BELIEVE it," she managed finally. A meteor shower...what were the chances  
of THIS? And right when they'd been talking about them too...  
  
A sudden suspicion gripped her, and she turned to Eriol, scrutinizing him carefully. He  
didn't seem the least bit surprised, although his eyes were fastened firmly on the sky  
in an incredibly calm expression. Too calm.  
  
"Eriol-kun?" she asked slowly.  
"Yes, Ms. Tomoyo?" he replied nonchalantly.   
"Did you hear that a meteor shower was going to happen today?" she wanted to know.  
That smirk was on his face again, lightly teasing her. "I assure you, the papers said  
nothing about a meteor shower this evening. I imagine the astronomers will be very  
surprised."  
  
"Eriol-kun?" she asked again.  
"Mm-hmm?"  
"Are...you causing this?" The moment the words were out of her mouth, she knew it  
was the truth, and she stared from him to the sky and back in awe.  
"Wonderful deduction, Ms. Tomoyo," he said teasingly.  
  
Tomoyo gasped, still looking from him to the sky in rapid succession, her expression  
completely shocked. Eriol couldn't help but laugh lightly. "You'd think you'd never seen  
a meteor shower before," he said sarcastically.  
  
At that, Tomoyo snapped out of her momentary shock and stuck her tongue out at him..  
yet again. "Ha, ha," she said. "Not everyone can turn on meteor showers whenever   
they get bored. And you say you don't flaunt your powers. But Eriol-kun.." Now awe  
filled her tone. "This is amazing."  
  
He shrugged carelessly. "You DID say you would enjoy seeing one."  
This shocked her more than even the myriad of falling stars. He had done this for her...  
  
After getting lost in the feeling for a moment, she suddenly tried to pull herself together.  
It WAS a very sweet thing for Eriol-kun to do...but why was she...MELTING this way?  
That was the only way she could describe it -- as if her heart was literally melting, just  
at the thought.  
  
Eriol felt her arms go around him for the third time that evening, second time if one  
counted it as a casual hug. Momentarily taken aback, he slowly put his arms around her  
as well, very hesitantly. "Ms. Tomoyo?"  
  
She pulled back, her eyes shining with gratitude, happiness, and the glisten of three  
dozen shooting stars....utterly beautiful. "Thank you, Eriol-kun. Thank you very much."  
Somehow, he didn't think the meteor shower was worth the look in her eyes...nothing  
could compare to her. Nothing at all.  
  
"Don't mention it," he murmured, tearing his gaze away. "Don't forget to make a wish,  
though."  
  
"Oh right!" She turned back to the sky, and then closed her eyes calmly, running the  
wish around in her mind.   
This was one of the few times Eriol wished he hadn't promised not to read her mind; he  
had a pretty good idea of what she could have wished for, though. What she wanted  
more than anything in the world. And he sighed.  
  
Tomoyo opened her eyes when she heard him sigh, and glanced over at the boy next  
to her in curiousity. "Eriol-kun?"  
His manner was strangely subdued, a hidden look in his eyes. He looked up at the sky  
again. "Tomoyo-san...I think I have a pretty good idea of what you wished for."  
  
She blinked, a faint trail of fear in her heart. "You do?" she whispered, her mind spinning  
frantically. It was a silly wish, she shouldn't have made it. She had completely forgotten  
that he could read her mind if he wanted to...of course, she had told him specifically  
NOT to, but it was ridiculous to think that Eriol-kun, such a wild card, would listen to   
her..  
  
She waited patiently, not saying anything.  
"Tomoyo-san..." he trailed off; then after what seemed to be a long pause, waved his  
hand casually in the air.  
  
She felt a strange flickering in the air.  
  
Inside the house, Spinel felt the flicker as well -- only he knew what it was. Nakuru  
probably would have felt it as well, had she been on earth, and not in a state of utter  
bliss as she replayed Eriol-sama's and Tomoyo-chan's dance on the videocamera yet  
AGAIN.  
  
Back on the balcony, Tomoyo turned to Eriol in utter confusion; he had crossed his arms  
and was leaning back against the wall. "Eriol-kun?" she asked carefully. "What did you  
just do?"  
  
"The barrier around the house has been broken, it's gone," he told her, still looking up  
at the shooting stars -- the shower was starting to die down.  
Tomoyo remained confused for a second, until she thought back to her second day  
here; the barrier she'd touched, which had hurt her...the barrier, Spinel had said, to  
keep her inside the house...meaning..  
  
Her eyes went as wide as saucers as she turned back to him, hardly daring to breathe.  
"Eriol-kun?" she whispered. "Does that mean..."  
  
Eriol nodded in confirmation, still not daring to look at her. "You're free to go," he  
clarified quietly.  
Tomoyo could only stand there, completely stunned, not sure she had actually heard  
the words he'd just said correctly. This had to be a joke...a dream to taunt her...she  
could actually go HOME..  
  
"Really?" she breathed, not wanting to speak too loudly, less she break the spell, or  
he changed his mind...or tell her he was just kidding..Eriol-kun wouldn't be so cruel as  
to joke about something like this, would he?  
  
Eriol sighed again, STILL not looking at her. "I know you miss your life very much," he  
told her, in the same dead-quiet tone. "You miss Sakura-san. And that makes you sad.   
And...Ms. Tomoyo..I really don't want to see you sad.."  
  
Tears were actually brimming in her eyes. Tears. And a bittersweet type of pain was  
welling up inside the chambers of her heart.  
  
She couldn't speak -- her throat had completely clogged, and was not about to unclench.  
So she did all she could; she stepped up to him, and then hugged him as tightly as  
she could, the tears now seeping into his shirt. "Eriol-kun...I don't know how to thank  
you...I don't think I CAN thank you enough.."  
  
Eriol just smiled down at her...a strangely sad smile. "It's nothing, Tomoyo-san..I mean,  
you deserve your freedom. I'm...sorry for keeping you here so long."  
  
Tomoyo shook her head quickly with a slight smile. "No, don't be...some of the best   
times I've had happened here..thank you again." She finally pulled away from him and  
walked toward the balcony doors. She paused, then turned back to him. "Eriol-kun?"  
  
He had turned back to the stars, which were now still except for one or two extra   
falling ones. "Yes, Tomoyo-san?"  
"I'm going to miss you," she admitted in a hushed voice.  
  
Eriol smiled at that, glancing back at her. "I don't see why. I'll still go to school, you   
know."  
Tomoyo smiled, a bit wistfully. "I know...goodbye, Eriol-kun."  
  
Then she was gone. And it was a while after the balcony doors slid shut before Eriol  
finally whispered, "Goodbye, Tomoyo..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.....  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: People, don't kill me yet! I swear that's not where it ends -- there's still more to  
come. But still...I know it's sad...but everything will be okay! ^_^ But also, don't  
forget (a hint for the next chapter), despite all the fun they've been having   
together, and that they've become so close....the bare fact is that Eriol kidnapped  
Tomoyo...and not many people will be willing to overlook that little point. So please  
stick with me people -- it's almost done! Just a couple more chapters...I'm sure  
you're all disappointed, hmm? ^.~ LOL, I wish -_-* Well anyway, everyone, you  
know the drill -- please be a responsible reader and REVIEW! Thanks, all!  
  
Now for the extra notes -- no, I DEFINETLY do not own the song that Tomoyo and  
Eriol composed together; it's 'The Simple Things' by Rebecca Lynn Howard and  
Jim Brickman, in my opinion one of the best songs of all time, and it's so beautiful.  
And I just naturally fit it with Eriol and Tomoyo -- Jim Brickman and Rebecca   
Howard are a piano/singer duet too! People, you have  
really got to hear that song. But just another note, I didn't write the entire song  
into this fic.  
  
  
  
  
~Starchick 


	8. Default Chapter

*pleading forgiveness* I know there are a lot of people who probably want to slaughter  
me right now...^^* I make the worst cliffhanger of the entire series, and then I put the  
next chapter up nearly two weeks later..-.-* People, I am so, *so*, SO sorry for   
leaving you hanging for so long...I'm sure everyone's had those days where they just  
want to smack their teachers for handing out so much homework? That's kind of what  
it's been like for me lately...and I don't think I deal well under pressure ^^* I dunno,  
I might have developed a writer's block or something in this section...tell me if it seems  
like that, okay? Seventh chapter people! And look out for a new character in this one,  
too..alright, I think I've given enough spoilers already, I'll stop. I have to thank EVERY-  
ONE who has reviewed this story...I swear, I honestly NEVER thought that only my  
second ExT would do so well..*starts crying* Thank you so much...I'm never going to  
stop saying that, you know ^_^*. I mean it...you are all the BEST! I really hope you  
enjoy this chapter too.  
  
  
Disclaimer: *Depressed* Again, I don't own Card Captor Sakura, nor Celine Dion's   
'Beauty and the Beast'...I HATE saying that. It's sooooo depressing  
=*p  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Tale as old as time  
Tune as old as song  
Bittersweet and strange  
Finding you can change  
Learning you were wrong~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He stood there for a long time on the balcony, still staring up at the shining sky which  
remained completely still. Lost in memories and pangs of longing, a sweet vanilla and  
lavender aroma...the very scent of heaven, he was sure of it. And yet through all of  
it, a sense of acceptance and bittersweet satisfaction.  
  
After a while, a long while, Hiiragizawa Eriol drifted back into the house, and to the  
living room. He made his way over to his red Throne of Evil and sat down, deep in  
thought. There was a lot to think about.  
  
Tomoyo deserves happiness, his mind echoed. Her ever-wise words resounded through  
his head again: "Seeing the one you love most happy is the best happiness." Once again,  
like many things she had told him, he had finally found truth in that statement. Just  
the thought of Tomoyo's eyes remaining forever bright and twinkling as she was around  
the people she cared about was enough to make him want to smile as well...even if it  
meant that HE wasn't going to be one of the people she would be around.  
  
  
("We'll still see each other at school."  
"I know.")  
  
Eriol winced faintly as the brief conversation flitted through his brain. He really hated  
to lie to her...it was the last thing he'd wanted to do, and he hadn't even meant to do  
so. But it was becoming painfully clear in his mind, of what was coming, and what he  
would have to do..he'd really had no choice.  
  
The door to the living room flew open, and Nakuru shot in, tailed by Spinel who was  
right behind her.  
  
"Eriol-sama!" she demanded shrilly. "Where's Tomoyo-chan?"  
Eriol didn't say a word; from the look in their eyes, he knew that they knew the answer  
to their own question. They had to -- there was no way they wouldn't have felt the  
flicker of magic that meant the barrier around the house had gone down.  
  
"You let her go, didn't you?" Nakuru pressed on, quietly. Once again, Eriol didn't respond.  
Spinel flew gently over to his master, landing hesitantly on the armrest of the crimson  
chair, but remaining silent, knowing perfectly well that he shouldn't say a word.  
  
Nakuru sighed, and then came around the chair to face Eriol squarely. "I suppose I can't  
really blame you -- I WAS the one who kept telling you that it was unfair to keep her  
locked up in this house in the beginning...but Eriol-sama, why? You two seemed to be  
getting along so well together, you were so close...did you get in a fight?"  
  
Eriol quickly shook his head, the first inclination of a reply so far.   
"Then why?" This was said with a little impatience.  
  
"We didn't get in a fight," Eriol murmured, his eyes trained on the carpet. "And she was  
my best friend...I really DO care about her. That's why I let her go."  
"That doesn't make sense," Nakuru said, impatience growing.  
  
Apparently, Spinel had already passed the impatience point however -- with Nakuru,  
anyway. "Oh for goodness sake, will you please use your head for once?" he snapped  
at the moon guardian. "He let her go because he didn't WANT to keep her caged up --  
he knew that made her unhappy, and since he really does care, he didn't want her to  
be unhappy...right, Eriol-sama?"  
  
Eriol blinked, then flinched a little, wondering just when his feelings had suddenly become  
so open to the world.   
  
After a moment, he responded, "I would want nothing more than to have her with me  
forever...but not at the expense of her happiness -- I would never let that happen."  
  
Then Eriol smoothly got up from the chair and left the living room without a backward   
glance, heading for his study.  
  
Nakuru and Spinel stared at the closed living room door for a moment, before Spinel  
sighed deeply, gazing into the flames in the fireplace. "You were right, Ruby Moon, in  
a sense," he murmured, not even thinking about the effort it took to push those few  
words out. "He IS happy -- or at least he CAN be. But the problem is...he just refuses  
to let himself be happy. And now, there's no way to tell if that's even possible anymore."  
  
He then glanced back at the long haired moon guardian. "You know what's going to   
happen now, don't you?"  
  
Nakuru lowered her head, her light chocolate hair veiling her face, as well as the tears  
that threatened to come. Tears for her master, and tears for Tomoyo-chan...tears for  
herself as well. "We're going to have to go back."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tomoyo made her way quietly through the streets of Tomoeda, Japan, trills of happiness  
running through her as her violet eyes soaked in familiar sites. It felt like forever since  
she'd seen this place...  
  
At first, she had been wandering around aimlessly. She hadn't given Eriol-kun the chance  
to walk her home, since she'd left so quickly...and besides, she knew he'd be in trouble  
if he was seen with her. He had never told Tomoyo exactly how he had explained her  
disappearance, so she was guessing that he most likely hadn't.  
  
But why..? It would have been so easy for the Lord of the Lies to give an explanation  
that would satisfy everyone, Tomoyo mused silently.  
  
However, she soon found herself in the woods where she had first been kidnapped. A  
faint smile swept her pale features...who would have ever guessed what would happen  
between then and now?   
  
She recognized the woods, they were the ones behind the Tsukimine Shrine. She had  
made it out of the shrine when she paused, wondering if she should maybe call home  
to get her bodyguards to pick her up. No, she quickly decided -- she wanted to sneak  
home with as little notice as possible -- she wasn't sure just how big of a scandal her  
disappearance was.  
  
Past the high school, past Tomoeda Elementary -- each place bringing another faint  
smile to her face --, she finally made it to the gates of the Daidouji Residence. Tomoyo  
glanced up at the gates thoughtfully. If she rang and told the guard that she was  
home, for sure the entire household would come rushing out. That was the last thing  
she wanted.  
  
Luckily for her, years of sneaking out to tape her Sakura-chan's bravery had made her  
an expert at getting around her family's security system.  
  
'My Sakura-chan...' Tomoyo had to briefly wonder why that didn't bring a tingle of joy  
to her, the way it normally did whenever she thought of her best friend that way. Yet  
she didn't have time to dwell on it. Stealthily climbing the fence, while at the same  
time trying to remain ladylike, the way she had always been taught, Tomoyo landed   
with a soft thud in the bushes just inside the walls.  
  
Freezing there for a moment, Tomoyo waited; moments later, a beam of light cut   
through the night's darkness. "Who's there?" demanded a voice. A male's voice.  
  
Tomoyo cringed; she knew who it was immediately. The rest of her mother's household  
was entirely female, and had been this way up until a few months ago, when Daidouji  
Sonomi had suddenly decided that Tomoyo needed higher protection -- therefore, she  
had hired Kimako-san, the only male bodyguard on the premesis. He had actually just  
shown up at the door one day, and her mother had relented to his plea for a job.  
  
Tomoyo didn't like him much, although she usually thought herself unfair for the fact --  
he was only a few years older than her, but he always acted like he was her superior,   
even though she was his mistress. That just irritated her. But Sonomi had  
insisted, since she was getting "older and prettier, yet still placid", that she   
needed someone who would be around her nearly twenty-four seven. Tomoyo didn't see   
why she couldn't just have her other bodyguards, but she hadn't argued -- she rarely did   
against her mother, whom she believed always knew best.  
  
"I heard someone over here," Kimako-san continued, the beam of light now scanning  
every inch of his surroundings.  
  
Tomoyo sighed, and stood up. "Kimako-san, it's only me," she said calmly, using her  
hand to shield her eyes from the white light.   
Kimako's eyes widened in surprise and shock, keeping the beam trained on her face.  
"Tomoyo-sama!" he exclaimed, running up. "Where on earth have you been? Do you  
have ANY idea how worried everyone's been, and what's been going on here and  
everything?"  
  
Tomoyo just looked at him, still very calm. "Don't tell anyone that I'm home," she said  
simply. Kimako gaped at her in disbelief. "What? I can't do that, Tomoyo-sama...  
Daidouji-sama's been going out of her mind with anxiety--"  
  
"It's a direct order, Kimako-san," Tomoyo said with a steely undertone. Normally, she  
hated giving direct orders -- it was a very rare thing whenever she did so with the  
female bodyguards. But somehow, it always seemed so much more necessary for Kimako.  
  
He looked like he wanted to argue some more, but then gritted his teeth and nodded  
with a frown, holding his tongue in check. He stepped aside to let her move past. She  
paused and turned her head to look back at him. "I'll tell Mother that I'm back myself,"  
she told him firmly. "And I am perfectly fine -- I wasn't hurt in any way."  
  
"Where were you?" Kimako demanded, almost angrily.  
Tomoyo bit down on her lip to keep from giving an angry retort -- it wasn't his fault,  
he's just doing his job, she reminded herself. But no matter what, she WASN'T going  
to say a word that would get Eriol in trouble.  
  
Eriol-kun...  
  
With a shock, she realized that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if he got in  
trouble because of her. He meant that much to her.  
  
"I will reveal that in time as well," she replied shortly, then turned away and began  
walking over the grounds.  
  
After a short while, and a lot of sneaking around, the violet haired girl was in her  
bedroom safely, with no one but Kimako aware that she was there. This fact somewhat  
unnerved her. All of a sudden, she wanted to protect the person who'd kidnapped her?  
  
Tomoyo lay down on her bed in exhaustion, her mind whirling. The rest of the house  
was silent, which gave her brain plenty of thought time...even if they were thoughts  
that she didn't seem to relish, and only confused her even more. Like, how she could  
possibly be in her own bedroom, at home...and still feel incredibly homesick, like she  
belonged somewhere else? It made no sense, yet it was all Tomoyo could think about.  
  
I'm home, she kept repeating in her mind, as if it still hadn't sunk in. I'm actually back.  
I'm home.  
  
But he didn't have to let me go, she thought, thinking back to earlier that evening, when  
Eriol had spontaneously set her free. Why had he done that? He knew as well as anyone  
that he could get into so much trouble...even if she didn't reveal anything, which she  
realized would not be possible, there would still be a big uproar, with the daughter of  
the CEO of Daidouji Toys, kidnapped and returned...Tomoyo was wincing, she could  
already see the headlines. Eriol would be in genuine danger. And judging from Kimako's  
reaction to seeing her, she confirmed that he hadn't bothered making up a story to  
explain her absence.  
  
The Tomoeda police were smart...they would eventually put two and two together..  
  
I just can't figure him out! she cried frustratingly in her head. I can't figure ANY of this  
out! I'm back home, in the Daidouji residence...Mother is just down the hallway right  
now...tomorrow I'll be going back to my school, see all my friends....  
  
She had missed them terribly, she really had. But why was it that there wasn't a thrill  
of joy in her at the thought of seeing them tomorrow.  
  
Even more frightening, why was it that she was only looking forward to school tomorrow  
so that she could see Eriol? Because she already missed him so much...none of this  
made any sense.  
  
I'm back home, and I'm missing my kidnapper.  
  
The idea was absurd.  
  
Tomoyo thought back to his distant manner, right after she had made her wish...she  
suddenly cringed again. Of course, Eriol-kun could read her mind...maybe that's why  
he had let her go; her wish had scared him away from her.  
  
She didn't know why that thought gave her a sharp dart of pain in her stomach, which  
quickly extended into her heart.  
  
It WAS just a crush, wasn't it...and now she could finally be free of it, since she wasn't  
around him anymore...Tomoyo was positive that if she could just see or hear Sakura-  
chan again, this silly little infatuation with the reincarnation of Clow Reed would   
disappear, and she would know for sure where her heart belonged. Because it was such  
a silly situation.  
  
Sakura, her mind chanted. Her eyes suddenly landed on her pink cellphone, on her  
bedside table; she smirked ruefully, remembering her regret at not having brought it  
with her that one fateful night.  
  
Leaning over, she picked it up, turned it on...but it took such an effort to dial the   
numbers. And a strange apprehension overtook her as she heard the ring on the other  
end of the line.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kinomoto Touya and Li Syaoran sat on the couch of the Kinomoto living room, for once  
actually ignoring each other and forgetting about the 'let's see if looks can kill' game,  
as they both watched Kinomoto Sakura pace around the room, worry and anxiety etched   
into their faces.  
  
This expression, however, was completely mild to what Sakura was apparently going  
through. She had long since passed the panic point, now decending into mortal fear.  
  
Concern flashed in the sorcerer's amber eyes as tears ran down Sakura's face yet AGAIN.  
"She's gone forever, I know it," she murmured through her hands, which were burying  
her face. "It's been too long..almost two weeks..."  
  
"Sakura, the cops are still looking," Touya reminded her, trying to remain nonchalant as  
he too, worried intensely about the amethyst eyed girl who was like a second sister to  
him. As well as restraining himself when Syaoran placed a comforting arm around his  
sister.  
  
"But two weeks!" Sakura cried. "I knew she shouldn't have come out with us that night...  
I told her it was a bad idea--"  
  
Syaoran shook his head, knowing what was coming next. She had been doing this for  
over a week now...and it was really scaring him. "Sakura, before you even  
start, it's not your fault, for the last time," he said firmly. "You couldn't have possibly  
known what would happen...and do you really think Daidouji-san would have listened  
if you DID tell her to stay away? Daidouji can be really stubborn that way."   
  
"But--" Sakura was about to protest again, when the shrill ring of a phone cut off her  
words abruptly.   
  
Touya dove for the cordless instinctively, putting it to his ear. They had been calling  
the police very frequently lately, and there was always constant hopes that the police  
would call back with news.  
  
Then a confused expression crossed his features as he heard the dial tone. "Uh..."  
  
Sakura and Syaoran were staring at him in confusion and expectation. He simply   
shrugged. "There's no one on the line."  
"But the phone is still ringing," Syaoran remarked, looking around. There was only one  
phone line in the Kinomoto household...  
  
Suddenly Kero-chan came down from the stairs, looking a bit shaky and dragging a  
pink cellphone along with him. The special one Tomoyo had given her. "Sakura..this is the   
phone that's ringing."  
  
Sakura stared at it, then at the others. They met her eyes, the same look of agonizing  
anticipation reflecting in theirs. There were only two people who called her on her special   
telephone, and since Syaoran was right here next to her and would have no reason to   
call...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tomoyo braced herself as Sakura came onto the line. "Hello?"  
The amethyst eyed girl had to wince at the fragileness of her best friend's voice -- she  
recognized that voice too well...Sakura had been crying. She should be furious with  
Hiiragizawa now...  
  
Tomoyo was already starting to feel pangs of regret.  
She took a deep breath before responding. "Sakura-chan..." was all she managed to get  
out, her voice choking up. She doubted that the other girl had even heard her at first,  
she was so quiet. That notion was quickly cancelled out.  
  
"TOMOYO!!"  
  
Tomoyo winced, yanking the phone away from her ear at Sakura's scream. She couldn't  
even begin counting all the different feelings she had heard in her voice..  
  
Tomoyo could hear Kero, Syaoran and Touya in the background, talking loudly after  
Sakura's outburst. A small smile came to her face; normally, if those three were put in  
a room together, what would happen would make World War Two look like a shuffleboard  
match.   
  
Sakura's voice came back over the line after a period of almost breathless silence --   
there were definite tears in her voice.  
"Oh my gosh, where have you BEEN? What happened?? Are you alright? Where did you  
go? Where are you now?"  
  
She didn't leave Tomoyo a chance to get a word in edgewise...not that she would have  
managed to, anyway. She winced, realizing that almost every one of those questions  
would incriminate Eriol-kun somehow..but how could that be the only thing she was  
thinking about right now? She had a near hysterical Sakura-chan on the other end of  
the phone line, Sakura-chan who she hadn't seen it what seemed like eons.  
  
Tomoyo's voice came out still quiet, almost in a monotone. "I'm fine, Sakura-chan...and   
I'm home now.." she told the cinnamon haired girl.   
  
A huge sigh and a few sobs of relief. "Tomoyo-chan, do you have ANY idea how worried   
we've all been? Where WERE you?"  
  
Tomoyo remained silent, wincing. The one question that she REALLY did not want to  
answer.  
  
The silence started to bother Sakura. "Tomoyo, you still there?"  
"Sakura-chan...it doesn't matter anymore where I was, alright? But I wasn't hurt, not  
at all...and I'm back now."  
  
For some reasons, these words were coming out hollow. Tomoyo chalked it down to  
exhaustion and shock, from finally being back in her own room, talking on her own   
telephone to her best friend; what else could it possibly be?  
  
"But Tomoyo," Sakura began to protest. "Where did you GO? And why can't you tell me..  
is someone threatening you?"  
  
Tomoyo's eyes widened. "No!" she quickly exclaimed, the image of Eriol threatening her  
coming to mind....it was like thinking about Sakura threatening her as well.  
  
Once again, she had to notice and point out how strange it was that Sakura and Eriol  
were now at equal points in her mind. Even though Sakura was supposed to be her  
one and only...there was no way she could have TWO one and onlys.  
  
Tomoyo had spaced out for a long while apparently; suddenly, Li-kun was on the phone.  
A lot more determined to get answers than Sakura had been -- she had simply been  
too overwhelmed with the fact that her best friend was alright and safe and back home.  
  
"Daidouji-san, where have you been?" he asked, his tone demanding an answer. Tomoyo,  
on the other hand, had to smile at this; she knew Syaoran well enough by now to know  
that he would only speak in such harsh tones because he was worried about her. The  
thought comforted her somewhat...even if she was feeling mixed up, and longing for  
Nakuru, Spinel...Eriol-kun -- she had it great here, as well.  
  
"Li-kun, don't worry -- like I said, I'm perfectly fine, and I wasn't hurt at all--"  
"Daidouji-san, that's not the point!" he said impatiently. "You disappeared that night we  
were all in the woods -- without a trace, I might add. Do you have any idea what kind  
of a panic that caused? Why did it happen?"  
  
Tomoyo bit her lip again for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that night. Now  
they were getting into dangerous territory -- Syaoran was very perceptive at these  
things, even if he COULD be a bit dense at times...and he already distrusted Hiiragizawa  
enough.  
  
"It just...happened, that's all," she murmured over the line. "I was careless, I could have  
prevented it." At least that was SOME truth -- she really hated to lie to her friends. She  
had been careless, and she COULD have prevented it..  
  
But would you really have wanted to? asked a coy voice in her head. Now that you   
know what happens?  
Voices in her head now. Great.  
  
"Who took you?" he demanded.  
"Li-kun, it doesn't matter anymore," she said, quietly but firmly, and hurriedly. "I..I really   
don't want to talk about it. I'm home now, in my own bedroom, so you don't have to   
worry about me. And I have to hang up soon, because I'm really tired.."  
  
At this point, Sakura had snatched the phone back from Syaoran. "Tomoyo-chan!" she  
insisted through the line. "Won't you please tell us what's going on? You've avoided  
every question we've asked about where you've been...are you still in danger? Tomoyo,  
you HAVE to tell us!" Her voice sounded on the verge of breaking.  
  
Tomoyo really hated doing this to her dearest cousin, but she just couldn't...  
She was silent for a moment. "Sakura-chan..." she finally spoke up in as soothing a   
voice as possible. "Like I said, don't worry about anything -- I'm not in anymore danger.  
And I'm completely free now...but I'm really tired, and I would like to get to bed." After  
a second, she quickly added, "But would you please not tell anyone that I'm back yet?"  
  
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura cried. "WHY? We've been calling the police department for the  
past two weeks, and they've been urging us to tell them immediately if we get any  
word from you..."  
  
Tomoyo winced. "Sakura, I really would rather not have this turn into such a big fiasco.  
Please don't tell them anything. Yet...I can talk to them myself, later."  
  
Sakura didn't say anything for a while. "Alright then, Tomoyo-chan," she finally said  
quietly. "But please...take care of yourself, okay? Don't let anything happen."  
Tomoyo had to smile softly. "Always," she agreed. "Good night."  
"'Night, Tomoyo-chan, I'll see you tomorrow," Sakura replied. The two girls hung up.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Yet, nearly two hours later, Tomoyo found that she just couldn't get to sleep. She  
knew she was going to be wrecked at school tomorrow...her first day back, too. But  
her mind just refused to shut down and rest...no, it insisted on replaying every single  
moment of her time in Hiiragizawa Manor.  
  
And again and again, she found the same thoughts circling her brain -- Eriol-kun had  
changed so much, he seemed to have changed her, he meant enough to her that she  
would evade SAKURA-CHAN just to protect him...  
  
He was so kind to let me go, she thought. It had been so sweet of him...Tomoyo realized  
just now that he was always looking out for her best interest, always...even when he  
had first kidnapped her. But why?  
  
He was supposed to be a cold, all-powerful magician, with a million masks that he could  
pull of with admirable ease. Sounded just like her. Another thing he had in common with  
her to add to the rapidly growing list.  
  
He's not like that at all underneath, though, she mused silently. He could be so gentle,  
and incredibly caring...Nakuru had told her that Eriol usually only showed that side to  
her and Spinel...but Tomoyo herself had caught that side of him more than twice.  
  
She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Her own feelings for him were  
already cramping her brain in confusion, and now she had just been wondering just how  
he felt toward her. She knew she was a close friend to him -- he had made that clear  
enough times. And it made her feel so special -- his trust seemed like such a rare,  
fragile thing...and for him to gain her own, that was very rare as well.  
  
And he had done all this during the time he had been holding her hostage.  
  
And that's EXACTLY why it shouldn't be this way, she insisted in her mind. But it seemed  
like the rest of her was simply ignoring the sensible half of her, and causing many  
clashing emotions.  
  
So, needless to say, it was very difficult for Daidouji Tomoyo to fall asleep that night.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
And, in her opinion, she was woken up far too early. It was, in fact, before her alarm  
clock had even rang.  
  
Tomoyo was aroused by a knock at the door. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up in bed, and  
then paused, and frowned, glancing around her in momentary confusion until the events  
of the night before finally came back to her, and she realized she wasn't in Hiiragizawa  
Manor anymore.  
  
But her frown only deepened as she turned her mauve gaze to the door. This still didn't  
explain who would be knocking on her door; the only one in the household who was   
supposed to know she was home was Kimako, and he was strictly forbidden to go   
anywhere near her room.  
  
Hesitating for only a minute, she called out, "Come in."  
The door slowly opened to reveal one of the female bodyguards, Takao-san. She stared  
at her mistress for a while, before slowly nodding as an offhanded show of respect, a  
slow, small smile lighting her expression. "Tomoyo-sama..."  
  
Tomoyo could only stare back at her, wincing inwardly; somehow, she got the feeling  
that she was in trouble.  
  
Takao, obviously catching the expression on her face, quickly shook her head, entering  
the room and shutting the door behind her. "Do not worry, Mistress. Your mother is not  
here at the moment, although she will most likely be back this afternoon. And also, the  
other bodyguards are already aware of your return."  
  
Tomoyo gazed at her, raising an eyebrow warily. "Did Kimako-san tell you?"  
The bodyguard shook her head. "Security cameras," she responded simply. Tomoyo  
rolled her eyes and sighed despondantly -- she had completely forgotten about the  
cameras that lined the Daidouji grounds.  
  
Before she could say a word, however, Takao spoke up, with another faint smile. "It is  
true that we are aware of your return -- but we got the feeling last night that you  
didn't want to make a big scene, and we respect that. Everyone is under strict orders  
to not say a word, especially to the police."  
  
Tomoyo smiled herself in gratitude and relief; there was the reason that Takao-san  
was one of her favourite bodyguards, she understood her. "Thank you, Takao-san."  
  
The guard came and tentatively sat on her bed. "It's nothing, Tomoyo-sama...but   
would you mind if I ask WHY you don't want to say anything?"  
Tomoyo hesitated again. "It's...complicated, I'm sorry," she told her bodyguard, looking  
down. "But I will say this: I wasn't harmed in any way, and I am perfectly fine now.  
And everything will be okay."  
  
Takao nodded. "Then I won't press, until you wish to open up. But your mother may be  
a bit more persistent...she has nearly been going out of her mind. The rest of us had  
to force her to go on the small business trip, and we promised that we'd tell her anything  
at all that happened..."  
  
Tomoyo nervously toyed with her bedspread. "It's okay, you can tell her that I'm back  
when she comes home," she told the older woman. "I don't want her to worry."  
  
"Will do," Takao nodded, then paused briefly. "Are you going to school today?"  
Tomoyo hesitated yet again; strange, she had never realized just how complicated this  
situation would be back when she was still with Eriol and his creations...she had   
basically thought that it was all his fault anyway and that he could stew in his own  
work.  
  
Her point of view had definetly changed for sure.  
  
"I'll go," she confirmed. "I don't want to miss anything."  
Takao nodded again and stood up briskly. "We shall call the school then, and tell them  
simply that you were out of town secretly, so that there isn't a big ultrasound. Don't  
worry, not many people in town know the whole details of your disappearance."  
  
No one knows the whole truth, except me, and a certain blue-haired magician and his  
minions, Tomoyo couldn't help adding silently, suppressing a smile. She suddenly couldn't  
wait to see him at school that morning.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She was in school very early...other students most likely wouldn't show up for another  
half hour, although the school was already open. Placing her outdoor shoes into her  
locker and shutting it, the sound echoing down the empty hall, she made her way over to   
the sixth grade classroom.  
  
Tomoyo dropped her bag onto the desk and landed just as unceremoniously in her seat,  
burying her face in her hands, her mind shrouded in confusion yet again. It wasn't fair  
really; in just two weeks, her life had seemed to change completely. She didn't feel like  
the same person she had been on that night. That one night...  
  
She missed Eriol terribly already, though it had barely been twelve hours since she'd last  
seen him.  
  
And THIS was a crush? she had to ask herself cynically.  
  
The classroom door was suddenly thrown open. "Tomoyo-chan!"  
Tomoyo looked up in surprise to see Sakura and Syaoran entering the classroom,   
Syaoran shutting the door firmly behind him.  
  
Tomoyo didn't know what to say; it seemed she was being cornered again. "Sakura-chan,   
Li-kun," she finally stammered out. "W-what are you doing here so early?" She raised an  
eyebrow suspiciously at her best friend. "How did you manage to get up so early,   
Sakura?"  
  
Sakura shook her head dismissively. "That's not important," she said, making her way  
over to her own seat, dropping her own bookbag on the desk, then sitting down and   
turning to face the violet haired girl with the most intent look Tomoyo had ever seen on  
her face.  
  
"What's important is that we managed to catch up with you, so we could talk to you  
in private," Li-kun said from behind Sakura, leaning against another desk, looking just  
as intense.  
  
Tomoyo felt trapped. "Is this about last night?" she asked faintly. "Because really--"  
"This is about the last two weeks, Daidouji-san," Syaoran corrected her. "And where  
you've spent them. Why can't you tell us where you were?"  
  
"Why does it matter, anyway?" Tomoyo demanded, the words coming out harsher than  
she meant for them to. Sakura and Syaoran were slightly taken aback.  
"Tomoyo-chan, really," Sakura replied urgently. "You can't just vanish from the face of  
the earth for two weeks, then come back, and expect nobody to say anything. Especially  
not you -- you KNOW that you're a very important person."  
  
Tomoyo sighed, training her eyes on the desk surface and making sure she kept herself  
in check so she didn't snap at her friends again. Really, she had no right to; they hadn't  
done anything but worry about her...but she wanted to make sure Eriol-kun was safe  
too..  
  
Honestly, how was she supposed to stay loyal to both of them?  
  
"Please you two," she voiced quietly. "Just trust me. I am okay. Nothing is threatening  
me, nothing ever did threaten me, I was never hurt in any way whatsoever, and I'm  
back now...so please stop asking me where I have been. I promise, I'll tell you when  
I'm ready."  
  
Syaoran looked as if he wanted to argue, but Sakura shot him a silencing glare, and then  
sighed in defeat. "Tomoyo-chan...it's alright then. Just as long as you're alright, I guess  
that IS all that really matters...I really wish you would tell us what happened, but if  
you don't want to tell us.." she trailed off, glancing at Syaoran helplessly.  
  
"We can't push you," he told me, crossing his arms and glaring at the ground. "But when  
you're ready, you have to promise to tell us."  
"Because we're your friends, right?" Sakura finished insistently.  
  
At that, a small smile came to Tomoyo's face, and she felt that same sense of comfort;  
marching up to the two magicians, she hugged them both tightly. "Thanks again, you  
guys," she whispered.   
  
Li-kun, looking faintly embarrased, pulled back after a moment. "Just as long as you're  
sure you're not in danger," he said gruffly, heading over to his own desk.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Not long after that, students began filing into the classroom, soon followed by Terada-  
sensei.  
  
Well, all the students except for one, the very important one that Tomoyo wanted to  
see very badly.  
  
She kept glancing at the clock over the door, an anxious expression on her face. Where  
WAS he? The question ran through her head again. Hiiragizawa Eriol was NEVER late --  
and he was never absent, either.  
  
But Terada-sensei had begun doing role call, after explaining to the class about  
Tomoyo's "disappearance" the way the Daidouji household had directed. Of course,  
her two friends next to her didn't buy it for a second, but it seemed to satisfy the rest  
of the class.   
  
Yet Eriol-kun STILL wasn't here...now Tomoyo was getting worried. What if he was sick?  
Or...  
  
The role call ended, and Terada-sensei finally spoke up, catching the attention of the  
students deftly. "I regret to announce that one of our students is going to be leaving  
us."  
  
Tomoyo just got the feeling of dread before Terada-sensei had even finished completely.  
She knew instinctively just who it was that was leaving.  
  
"The reason Hiiragizawa Eriol is not with us today is because he will be leaving for  
England early tomorrow. But he wished for me to say goodbye to all of you for him, and  
tell you that he really enjoyed being a part of this class."  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Tomoyo caught Sakura and Syaoran exchanging a look,  
although she couldn't quite read it. The rest of the students also seemed upset,  
especially Yamazaki; Tomoyo could imagine, he was losing his partner in crime.  
  
But none of this was registering to her.  
  
He's going back, was the only thing circulating through her brain. He was leaving, and  
so soon....early tomorrow.  
  
And she most likely would never see him again.   
  
Tomoyo didn't pay much attention in school that day.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When the school day was finally over, Tomoyo nearly bolted out of the classroom, but   
started walking very slowly toward home; she didn't think she could face her mother yet,  
without getting herself under control first.   
  
So she took the quick detour around to the King Penguin Park -- this was where she  
would always go whenever she needed to think things out.  
  
I don't see why I'm so upset, she thought to herself for the hundredth time. I can  
easily just go visit him. I could go right now. I'm sure they wouldn't mind seeing me.  
I could go say goodbye...maybe even find out why he's leaving so suddenly. Though  
it really shouldn't hurt so terribly...I knew he would leave someday, his home is in  
England, after all...  
  
But instead, she went over to the swingset, ssat down, and began rocking back and  
forth despondantly.   
  
She missed him already. Horribly. That she had no choice but to admit...she hadn't even   
felt THIS bad when he'd first kidnapped her.   
  
Meaning he had come to mean more to her than anyone else.  
This was no crush...  
  
"Tomoyo-chan."  
Tomoyo looked up to see Sakura take a seat on the swing next to her, while Syaoran  
leaned against one of the poles that was holding it up.  
  
She sighed; these two had practically been following her everywhere almost all day...  
she knew that it was out of concern; she hadn't done much to reassure them that  
she really was okay that day, but still...  
  
"Sakura-chan, Li-kun," she greeted halfheartedly -- now this was a sure sign that  
something had changed. She was greeting Sakura without feeling completely "hanyan"  
inside. "What's up now?"  
  
"How about the fact that you spent the entire day looking like a robot?" Sakura asked  
innocently.  
"One that's about to break down," Syaoran added just as matter-of-factly.  
  
Tomoyo sighed again in defeat; well she deserved this, didn't she? If she had kept up  
her mask a bit more carefully today...  
  
"So tell us what's wrong," Sakura said pleadingly. "I could handle it that you didn't want  
to tell us where you've been, or what happened to you, since you say you weren't in  
danger....but I can't handle it when you're depressed..I won't, if I can fix it..."  
  
Tomoyo had to smile a bit at the determined innocence in her best friend's voice; since  
they had been kids, whenever Sakura would have a problem, Tomoyo-chan had always  
--almost always-- been able to make it better. So she saw no reason why she herself  
couldn't make her friend's problem all better as well.  
  
But there are some problems that can't be solved...unless you go straight to the  
source, Tomoyo said inwardly.  
  
"Sakura-chan, you really don't need to worry--"  
"Stop saying that, Daidouji-san," Li-kun interrupted, glaring now. "Because we DO worry   
-- it's not like you've given us any other option. You've been going around like you're  
not completely THERE...I know we all have those days sometimes, but really--"  
  
"Tomoyo-chan, please tell us!" Sakura pleaded.  
  
Tomoyo sighed, trailing her foot around in the stones that covered the swingset area as   
she twisted her swing around slightly. The words came spewing out without any real   
control.  
  
"I was kidnapped that night," she said softly, so quietly she was sure they hadn't heard  
her. She had barely heard herself. But apparent they HAD heard, because their faces  
began to reflect anticipation as they listened carefully.  
  
She paused, then continued. "By Hiiragizawa Eriol-kun." This part came out almost a  
whisper.   
  
She heard Sakura gasp in disbelief, saw Syaoran's eyes narrow in an even more   
threatening glare, but she didn't pay attention to much of it. "That's where I've been  
for the last two weeks. I saw something I wasn't supposed to see in the woods that   
night..."  
  
Here she stopped again, wondering if she should tell this to her two friends. It would  
spoil Eriol's plans...but wasn't that what she wanted to do? Because if his plans were  
spoiled, then Sakura-chan was safe...  
  
It came spilling out again. "He's really the reincarnation of that sorcerer who created  
the Clow cards...Clow Reed."  
Sakura's face eased slightly. "I know," she said simply.  
  
Tomoyo looked up at them in shock. "You do?"  
Syaoran nodded from his post. "We've known for a while now..actually we found out  
just earlier this week..when he challenged Sakura."  
  
He kept me longer than necessary, Tomoyo's brain registered fleetingly; for some reason,  
that didn't seem to matter anymore. Well, at least this somewhat explained why Eriol-kun,  
Spinel and Nakuru-san had stopped disappearing at night.  
  
The violet haired girl blinked. "That's the reason he kidnapped me," she told them. "I  
went wandering around for a little while after Sakura-chan transformed the card...I  
saw him in the forest -- he was the one causing all the trouble. But he said he couldn't  
take the chance of me telling you what was really going on..so he kidnapped me.."  
  
Sakura looked down, still in disbelief, as Syaoran looked away and said something in  
Chinese..Tomoyo was willing to bet anything that it was a swear word.  
  
"But the police searched him," Sakura said. "After we found out who he was, he became   
Syaoran-kun's number one suspect, so we made them interrogate him...but they were so   
sure that he hadn't done anything.."  
  
Tomoyo smiled faintly at that thought. "He's a very experienced liar," she said softly.  
The other two became suspicious when they heard the slight affection in her voice.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan, he kidnapped you..." Sakura trailed off.  
"We really should get him back," Syaoran said in that dangerous way he had when he  
got angry. "He had no right to get you involved in this.."  
  
Tomoyo quickly looked back up at them. "No, it wasn't anything like that!" she quickly  
proclaimed, unknowingly defending her captor...again. "Well, sure, I saw it that way  
when I first got there.." She suppressed a tiny chuckle, remembering once again the  
night she had smacked Eriol across the face. "..But he really was looking out for the  
best for me."  
  
At Syaoran's little snort of disbelief, she shook her head quickly. "He really was," she  
insisted. "He could have simply erased my memory..Akizuki-san -- she's Eriol's moon  
guardian -- told him to. But then he would run the risk of destroying other parts of my  
memory, and he said he didn't want to do that....and he really was a most courteous  
host, even under the measures I happened to be there...he was really nice and sweet..  
and by the way, I didn't escape, he let me go willingly...he didn't have to, but he did.."  
  
Sakura and Li-kun were looking absolutely shellshocked as they listened to her recount  
her time at Hiiragizawa Manor...without even the slightest trace of fury in her tone.  
Indeed, she sounded like she'd had the time of her life...  
  
...or maybe had fallen in love? Sakura met Syaoran's eyes, both reflecting utter disbelief  
as they drew the same conclusion.  
  
Sakura didn't know what to say....she had always wished for her best friend to find  
someone that she loved most, and that loved her the most too...but THIS..wasn't  
exactly what she'd expected.  
  
Syaoran...well, Syaoran just wanted to kill, pretty much. He was still furious with  
Hiiragizawa for kidnapping his friend...he'd known that he couldn't trust Hiiragizawa at  
all from day one.  
  
But all this certainly explained a lot, especially about Tomoyo's depression in school that  
day. Now that they thought of it...her behaviour had only sprung up when Terada-  
sensei had announced that Eriol was leaving.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan," Sakura began carefully, unintentionally interrupting her best friend.  
"Do you...care about Eriol-kun a lot? As in...more than a friend?"  
  
At this, Tomoyo's face flamed up, and she looked away, quickly standing up from her  
swing. "Sakura-chan...it's true that he became a good friend to me, but..." here she  
didn't know what to say. Because she didn't know the answer herself.   
  
Or she did, but just wasn't willing to accept it yet.  
  
Sakura gave her a small smile. "It's alright Tomoyo-chan, you don't have to say anything  
if you don't want to. But if you really do care so much about him...maybe you should  
say goodbye before he leaves.."  
  
Tomoyo didn't know what to say to this either. Yes, she wanted to go say goodbye...  
but she was afraid that if she saw him, she wouldn't be able to let go, and would break  
down and make a horrible spectacle of herself.  
  
"I pretty much said my goodbyes last night, Sakura," she said in response, glancing at  
her watch. "Oh, but look at the time you two; I have to go home, I was supposed to  
talk to Mother today...to tell her I was back."  
  
Syaoran looked a bit uncertain, as if he still wanted some questions answered. "Alright  
then, you'd better go, Daidouji-san, but.."  
  
Tomoyo picked up her backpack from the ground and gave the two a smile. "You found  
out what you wanted to know, did you not?" she asked them. "Now you know where  
I was. But please don't go hurt Hiiragizawa-kun because of it..and don't tell anyone   
else."  
  
These seemed to be terms that neither wanted to agree to, but Sakura sighed slightly   
and relented. "Alright Tomoyo-chan...we promise." She looked pointedly at Syaoran, and  
he just shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
Tomoyo left the park, and Sakura and Syaoran glanced at each other uneasily.   
"She's not telling us something," Sakura murmured.  
Syaoran sighed in obvious disapproval. "Yeah. The fact that she's fallen for Hiiragizawa."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Daidouji Sonomi was normally a very collected, poised, woman who could be just as  
kind and friendly as she could be intimidating and harsh. And she always believed that  
properness was extremely important. Which is why she didn't lose her cool very much.  
  
However, the woman that had swept Tomoyo into her arms and squeezed her tightly  
upon the instant she had opened the door to the study was definetly not looking out  
for pose and cleanliness. Tomoyo could hardly breathe as her mother hugged her in a   
grip that rivaled Nakuru's . And she was crying. Tomoyo had never seen Sonomi cry.  
  
"Mother," she tried to reassure, patting her on the back. Her mother didn't even hear  
her. After a while, though, her sobs began receeding, and her words actually became   
coherent.  
  
"Tomoyo...Tomoyo, I'm sorry I haven't been around much...I should have been able to  
stop all this.." she sobbed.  
  
Tomoyo didn't know what to say to this, her mother was NEVER like this. So she simply  
patted her on the back again. "It's not your fault at all, Mother."  
  
Her mother straightened, wiping away her tears with one hand, while not letting go of  
Tomoyo's hand with the other. She steered her daughter up to her room, and basically  
put her into bed and started waiting on her, calling up for tea and a snack immediately  
and such. It was like that time Tomoyo had lost her voice to that Clow card.  
  
"Mother, I really am fine," Tomoyo quickly reassured Sonomi, as she felt her forehead  
yet again. "Nothing happened to me."  
Sonomi shook her head, finally asking the question. "Where WERE you, Tomoyo-chan?  
I had the police combing the entire city, and even other cities-- all the way to Tokyo--"  
  
Tomoyo winced, then seeing the look on her mother's face, decided that she couldn't  
lie to her, after she had already been put through so much. So she told her the whole  
story -- not the COMPLETE truth of course. She had left out all the magic parts of it,   
making it seem as if it were just a boy she knew who had taken her in for a while, but   
then allowed her to go home.  
  
"But he was very sweet to me, and very kind..so Mama, please don't try to punish him  
or anything," she pleaded. "It really wasn't his fault, and he was a very nice host.."  
  
Daidouji Sonomi's eyes were smouldering, and she clenched her fist in fury. "But this  
Hiiragizawa boy KIDNAPPED *MY* daughter!!" she exclaimed angrily.   
  
"Mama, it really wasn't his fault," Tomoyo intervened quickly. "He could have done much  
horrible things...but instead, he did the most sensible thing possible...and as time went  
on, he became very sweet to me, and he never turned his temper on me at all...indeed,  
I did have a lot of fun with him.."  
  
Sonomi scrutinized her daughter as she began recounting a few details of the "kidnapp-  
ing". This was the strangest kidnapping case she had ever heard of...the hard look in  
her own amethyst eyes which were identical to her child's softened, as she took in  
Tomoyo's usually pale face, which was strangely flushed, her eyes glistening softly with  
hidden memories that only she knew..  
  
After a while, a small smirk set upon Sonomi's face as she silenced her daughter, eyeing  
her. "Well, as long as you're alright now," she murmured. "Although...why Tomoyo-chan,  
I would think you have fallen for this Hiiragizawa-kun who kidnapped you." Here there was   
a light, teasing tone, though still disapproving.  
  
Tomoyo flushed even more...but made absolutely no move to deny it. What was there   
to deny? She was finding out that there was indeed a feeling more deep than what  
she'd felt for Sakura.  
  
"If he could make you so happy whilst having kidnapped you..." Sonomi trailed off,   
glancing away from her daughter and looking up at the ceiling. Then she turned back to   
the girl. "Speaking of Sakura-chan...what about her?"  
  
Tomoyo froze momentarily, then shot her gaze up to look at Sonomi. "You mean...you've  
known that I.." she trailed off. Sonomi gave another small, slightly wistful smile. "Yes.  
I've had a feeling for quite a while now...you seemed to be going through the same  
symptoms I went through with Nadeshiko-chan."  
  
Then her gaze snapped back to Tomoyo, and she wrapped her arms around her in yet  
another tight hug. "Tomoyo-chan, you know that all I want is your happiness, don't  
you?" she asked. "I don't often show it; I know that, and I'm sorry, but--"  
  
"Mama...it's okay," Tomoyo reassured her, hugging her mother back and leaning against  
her. This reminded her once again of when the Voice card had stolen her voice.  
  
This reminded her also of what she had missed.  
But now that she had it back, she missed something else even more...  
  
Sensing her daughter stiffen slightly, Sonomi hugged her a bit tighter and smiled again.  
"So, what exactly is Sakura-chan to you now?"  
  
Tomoyo hesitated. "Sakura-chan is...she is.."  
Sonomi pulled back, brushing her short, rust coloured hair out of her way. "Sakura-chan  
is Sakura-chan now...and that's all, isn't it?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded briefly.  
Sonomi gave her another quick hug, then patted the bedspread encouragingly as she  
stood up. "I'll be back soon, alright?" she told the young girl. "I'm just going down to  
the kitchens, to make a request for your favourite supper tonight." She breezed out  
the doorway, her confident air once again returned.  
  
Tomoyo fell asleep for a while, she was sure. For when she opened her eyes again, it  
was dusk, the sun just setting. The sunset brought a smile to her face, as she was  
reminded of the night before.  
  
However, this just brought back new reminder that Eriol was leaving the next day. And  
she hadn't yet said a proper goodbye.  
  
Tomoyo had pushed open her wide window, feeling a bit hot. She let the cool evening  
wind brush across her pale face and closed her eyes, savoring the feeling and the  
silence of the evening.  
  
Until that silence was broken by strange wailing noises in the distance.   
Tomoyo furrowed her brow, opening her eyes in confusion. The sounds were getting  
louder, and then they passed by the house. She recognized it; it was a siren. An  
ambulance? She hoped no one had gotten hurt.  
  
Tomoyo decided to change out of her school uniform, which was all wrinkled now from  
sleeping on it. She had just pulled her jacket over her simple dress when the telephone  
rang. Her special cellphone.  
  
Tomoyo cringed momentarily, wondering if yet ANOTHER evil had shown up. Wouldn't  
her best friend EVER get any peace?  
  
She switched on the phone. "Hello?"  
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura's voice came out slightly frantic over the line.   
"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo confirmed. "Don't tell me that something ELSE has shown up,  
causing a problem."  
  
"Um, actually.." Sakura trailed off, laughing weakly. "There IS a problem...but I don't   
think it's one that I'd be able to fix."  
Tomoyo frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
Sakura hesitated. "Have you heard sirens go by your house yet?"  
Tomoyo's eyes widened slightly; she wasn't getting a good feeling about this. "Yes I  
did, actually," she told the cinnamon haired girl.  
  
Sakura sighed. "Yeah...Tomoyo-chan, those are the police. Someone must've overheard  
us talking in the park this afternoon."  
"What? How?"  
"I don't know...but I asked one of them when they passed by my house...Tomoyo-chan,  
they're going over to Eriol-kun's house. And I think he's in big trouble."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued..........  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Yes, I know: very boring, since Eriol didn't get much coverage at all in this section.  
But Tomoyo had to have a chance to figure out her feelings, right? Trust me, he'll   
definetly get some more in the next chapter...because that  
happens to be the last chapter! Or the second last, whichever way you look at it.  
Yeah, this series is almost over...I'll try to end it as well as I can, alright? Thank  
you all for putting so much trust in me, and telling me that my fanfic was good,  
especially the people who've been emailing me, those wonderful people at Fanfiction.  
Net who've been reviewing all the time, giving me death threats if I didn't finish  
this soon ^^* You all rule, you guys, I'll NEVER be able to thank you enough. Don't  
forget though, email me at starviewcom@hotmail.com, especially if you've got  
questions (I STILL luv getting emails ^^), or leave a review at FF.Net.   
  
On another note -- yaay! My first original character! In this fic anyway...the other  
female bodyguard that talks to Tomoyo in this fic was from my other fic...my FIRST  
ExT. ^_^ Kimako-san...so what do you think about him, hmm? For those of you  
who've seen the Beauty and the Beast movie, I think you may be able to guess  
which character he's supposed to play. For anyone else, if you need a hint: think  
of the REAL villain in 'Beauty and the Beast'. ^_~  
  
  
  
  
~Starchick 


	9. Default Chapter

Eeeekk...I'm SO sorry that this took so long to come out, really sorry. *sniffs* And it's  
the last chapter, too. Yep, that's right people, the story has come to an end..*cries*  
I was really having fun working on it, too! But I think I put it together well enough. For  
everyone who was wondering just what role that new bodyguard Kimako-san was   
supposed to play...some people got it actually. He's basically Gaston -- gotta hate that  
guy. *makes a face*  
  
Now, for proper thank yous, which I will never be able to stop giving...:  
  
  
rory: Thank you so much for letting me post this fic on your awesome ExT site; people,  
you've got to check out her site, it's great!  
  
Ciircee: She gave me the BEST advice for writing ExT, 'cause she's such a fantastic  
writer herself ^^. Check out her fics! Thanks again, you're the greatest! Even   
though yes, I know ExT are kind of out of character..  
  
Fallon: You are the best, girl! Everyone, read her story "To see you smile" -- that's what  
gave me most of my inspiration for writing this whole thing. Love ya!  
  
Megori: Thanks for letting me post this on your own ExT site -- you know "Only Dreams"?  
If you haven't been there yet...what are you waiting for?! You've got to see it.  
I'm so glad she's keeping it up for now.  
  
Yori-chan: You've been there since the prologue -- thank you SO much! For actually  
reading this...and saying it's good ^^  
  
Priya-chan: I adore you for reading this whole thing, ever since I posted the prologue,   
and for all your nice reviews about this...*sniffs* I honestly can't believe  
it. Thank you ever so much.  
  
fireblaze: OMG, the writer of "Plum Blossoms" -- now THAT is an awesome ExT fic. Thank  
you for your reviews, and for emailing me too! I really hope you like this last  
chapter...since you've been pushing me to write it for the past week ^_~  
  
Anime: Another great reviewer, thanks so much for liking this a lot, and for reviewing  
all the time..you're fabulous. And I really like your stories, too!  
  
someone: Thanks so much for reading this all the way through...LOL, you guessed most  
of the plot at times, too!  
  
Dr. Megalomania: I can't believe it...one of my FAVOURITE authors! Her stories are   
_hilarious_, you've GOT to see them! Thank you so much for actually  
finding this kawaii.   
  
Chibi Sakura Avalon: You like this fic, too, thank you! And your fics are wonderful too,  
really...especially "Haunted". ^_^  
  
mysterio000: One of the constant readers of this fic, I'll never be able to thank you  
enough! I hope you like this chapter, too!  
  
Anony('o')Mouse: Being here the entire way through, thanks again (I'll honestly never  
stop saying that =p).  
  
Mistress of Darkness: Again, thank you oh so much, and your reviews are always so  
fun to read, especially the little conversations ^^.  
  
Sakura Lover: Even though arriving around chpt. 7, you STILL read the whole thing  
through, though it took you a while...THANK YOU!  
  
KyteAura: Thanks for wanting me to actually write more ExT fics....I would honestly  
never believe it! I'm so glad you enjoyed this so much..I'm sorry it's ending  
quickly though. =(  
  
The Great One: Love you for reviewing, thank you so, so much...even for the death  
threats! *LOL* Really! ^^  
  
like a falling star: You actually called my writing talented! I do not believe it..thanks  
again so very much!  
  
  
  
I know it's a bit much, but I really have to do it. I am SO, SO sorry for anyone that I  
didn't get..so to anyone that I didn't happen to get to, thank you, thank you, thank you!  
All of these people have been wonderful, and I ADORE you all, you're so great. Taking  
some time off to actually read and review my fic..*sobs and hugs all* I LOVE you! Thank  
you SO much. And I hope against hope that you will enjoy this chapter too, since you've  
stuck through it so long already. Feel free to email me anytime, I would love to talk to  
you all ^_^  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Oh terrible fate...-_- I don't, have never, and will never own Card Captor  
Sakura, or Celine Dion's song 'Beauty and the Beast' *wails*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Certain as the sun  
Rising in the east  
Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the Beast~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Spinel Sun, transformed into his full form, trooped into the living room, carrying two   
more suitcases. And looking very weary, not that Akizuki Nakuru was paying attention  
to his condition. He dropped the suitcases on the ground, breathing hard; they had   
weighed nearly a ton each. "There," he panted, glaring at Nakuru through his dark navy  
fur. "That's my half, I'm done."  
  
"But Suppi-chan!" Nakuru wailed, throwing two other -- much lighter, no doubt -- bags  
into the already full living room. "There's still about fifty more suitcases we need to  
pack -- you wouldn't leave me with ALL of them, would you?" She gave the chocolate  
puppy eyes.  
  
Spinel turned his head, unaffected. "Why not?" he grumbled. "Why did you have to  
bring so much stuff here, anyway?!"  
"Well, who knew how long we'd be staying here!" Nakuru shot back huffily. "I needed to  
be prepared."  
  
"We certainly didn't stay very long," Spinel pointed out.  
Nakuru sobered, looking up at the ceiling. "No, we didn't," she murmured quietly. Then,  
"Is the Master still in his study?"  
  
Spinel nodded gravely. Nakuru looked at him helplessly. "He hasn't talked to us all day...  
this is HORRIBLE, Suppi-chan!"  
Spinel nodded again in agreement. "I'll...try to talk to him," he said quickly, loping out  
of the door.  
  
"Hurry," Nakuru prodded him, glancing out the window. It was already evening time.  
And she was sensing that something was about to happen...something bad..  
  
As a matter of fact, Eriol-sama wasn't in his study; Spinel found him in the garden.  
"Eriol-sama?" he spoke hesitantly, finding his master in his favourite part of the garden,  
the sakura pond.  
  
He was sitting on the bench underneath one of the plum blossom trees, gazing at the  
blue waters in what seemed like a trance, although he still looked as if he were focused,  
since he was writing in his journal again. This slightly confused Spinel; their assignment  
was done for now, what would Eriol really have to write about?  
  
"I don't want to forget her." Eriol's quiet voice answered Spinel's unspoken question,  
still looking at the pond, where shadows were starting to stretch due to the setting  
sun.  
  
"Master..." Spinel stepped closer, coming up right next to the bench. He peered over  
the boy's shoulder; sure enough, he managed to catch a glimpse of Tomoyo's name  
more than once.  
  
Spinel sighed. "You know we don't have to go through with this," he said quietly. "We  
don't have to leave for England, just now anyway."  
Eriol gave him a pointed look. "We still have business to deal with in England, Spinel,"  
he reminded him.  
  
Silence fell for a minute, broken only by the few ducks landing in and taking off from  
the pond.  
"Eriol-sama." Spinel couldn't take it anymore. "You DO know that this will hurt Tomoyo,  
right? She'll be crushed that you're leaving -- you do mean a lot to her as well."  
  
Eriol sighed. "I don't know, Spinel...I DID deprive her of her life for a while.."  
Spinel also sighed, in barely suppressed frustration. Stupid reincarnation that just HAD  
to live inside of Eriol. Clow Reed had never been smart with love, never having   
experienced it though he'd had many chances to do so. It figured that his past life  
would just have to reflect on Eriol, making him blind to the most obvious feelings.  
  
But he said nothing more.  
  
"I know how I feel about her, Spinel," Eriol said after a while. "You don't have to remind  
me of that -- because it hurts. It hurts leaving here, but she's the only real thing tying  
me to this place. Not counting business-wise, of course." That meant Sakura-san. "And  
I know I may never feel this strongly for anyone else ever again...because it feels just  
right.  
  
"But...I can't keep her with me," he spoke firmly. "God knows how much I would love  
to..but she has a life, a good one that I have no right to take away."  
  
Once again, Spinel didn't say anything; he gave up on trying to drive the truth home for  
his master.  
  
"Besides, you DO feel what's about to happen, don't you?" Eriol demanded. Spinel  
hesitated, then nodded -- what good would it do to say no?  
"That's another reason why we should leave," the dark haired boy pointed out. "We're  
going to be in huge trouble...I'm sure not many people are willing to forgive me for  
kidnapping the daughter of the CEO of Daidouji Toys."  
  
Spinel was AGAIN silent, longer this time. The ducks had now all fled; there was little  
life in the clearing now, other than the flowers. This spot was Eriol's most private spot;  
Spinel and Nakuru were the only ones that had known about it, and they usually only  
came to get him here if matters were urgent.   
  
But Spinel suspected that Tomoyo had been shown to this area as well. He wasn't   
surprised. Over the last couple of days, Eriol had ended up showing Tomoyo many  
portions of his secret heart, without even realizing it. In the same way, Tomoyo had  
done so as well.  
  
And now, having spent an entire day without the presence of the sweet, violet haired  
fallen angel...Spinel had never seen his master so SUBDUED before. He was miserable.  
Yet he refused to do anything about it.  
  
The electricity in the air started to tingle more persistently; THEY were coming. The  
trouble was about to begin. Eriol felt it as well. Inside the house, he also felt Nakuru's  
nervousness increase. But he was ready -- in truth, he didn't care what the police did  
to him, as long as they didn't hurt Spinel or Nakuru.  
  
Another aspect of him which had changed -- the ability to know when he was wrong,  
and acknowledge his punishment for it.  
  
"Eriol-sama, you really should get inside," Spinel urged uneasily. "It won't be a good idea  
to stay in the garden when they get here."  
Eriol shrugged uncaringly. "It really shouldn't matter anymore, Spinel," he told his dark  
sun guardian.  
  
"Master?" Spinel had to think about pushing this out into the open, but his impatience  
really was growing. "Would you rather have had things go differently? If you could change  
everything that happened..would you?"  
  
Eriol froze, and didn't respond, not knowing what to say.  
Spinel nodded crisply. "Let's get inside." He propelled his master into the large house.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Osaka-sama!"  
One of the officers rang up on the car-installed communicater to the chief of police,   
from one of the cars behind.  
  
Osaka picked up the transmitter. "I read you."  
"The place is Hiiragizawa Manor, isn't it?"  
"Yes it is."  
  
The police chief glanced over at the only person in his car who WASN'T from the force.  
Apparently, he was a bodyguard from the Daidouji residence -- the victim's bodyguard,  
to be precise. For some reason, the chief found something in him that he really didn't  
trust...but he DID have no choice. Daidouji Tomoyo's kidnapping was a very big deal --  
they had been searching practically the entire country for her.  
  
That person was Kimako.  
  
"That IS the place, is it not?" Osaka asked the bodyguard.  
He nodded. "Yes, I heard my mistress admit the same thing."  
  
Osaka replaced the transmitter and they all drove on in a procession, silent -- unless  
one counted the wailing sirens.   
  
"Daidouji Tomoyo-sama wasn't hurt at all?" the chief pressed on.  
Kimako hesitated, then shook her head. "But," he added quickly. "We think she might  
have been threatened -- she refused to tell us anything until earlier this afternoon."  
  
"She confessed to you directly?"   
Another hesitation. "Yes."  
He was lying -- Osaka could spot a liar from a mile away, unless they were pretty damn  
good at it. Few people were. But Osaka didn't press THAT issue any farther -- really,  
what would Kimako have to gain from it?  
  
"And you say she was kidnapped by a boy from her class? Hiiragizawa Eriol?"  
Kimako nodded in confirmation as the car leading the parade turned a corner.   
  
Osaka thought about it; yes, he knew about Hiiragizawa Eriol. Although the boy mostly  
kept to himself, you couldn't come into Tomoeda without people knowing a little bit  
about you. According to Hiiragizawa-san, he was only in Japan for a little while, before  
returning to England to meet his parents, who were the ones who apparently legally  
owned the house he now resided in. Although why those parents would claim ownership  
to Hiiragizawa, when he was staying with his older cousin Akizuki Nakuru -- who was  
actually the one who handled the legal affairs, being sixteen years of age -- was a   
mystery to the chief, but not one that he really had any business investigating.  
  
"I still find it hard to believe that it was a boy the same age as her who's been holding  
her hostage all this time," muttered Osaka.  
Kimako was slightly indignant. "This is a very unusual boy," he said stiffly. "I have seen  
him around Tomoyo-sama's school...apparently one of her FRIENDS." He said the last  
word disdainfully.  
  
"But we still believe that he must have hurt her somehow," Kimako continued. "Tomoyo-  
sama says that he's very dangerous."  
Osaka glanced back at him through the rearview mirror. "She said that?" he asked  
suspiciously. But Kimako's face was completely straight -- he had to be telling the truth..  
  
Kimako nodded in confirmation. "Yes. Tomoyo-sama tells me everything -- I AM her  
number one bodyguard, after all." This was said with a slightly superior voice.  
  
Osaka inconspicously rolled his eyes, and continued to drive on. Picking up the trans-  
mitter, he radioed the other cars trailing him. "Hiiragizawa Manor's the place everyone.  
When we get there, be careful to stay back -- we'll have to take this guy by surprise,  
though. He's committed serious crimes -- apparently, abuse includes one of them. But  
NO ONE ENTERS THE HOUSE WITHOUT MY ORDER."   
  
This was a very clear, precise order that demanded obedience -- they couldn't just go   
rushing into some kid's house and arrest him. They would have to eventually...but Osaka   
liked to do things with as little violence as possible. But the problem was, that was only   
his own personal opinion -- not many cops on this case had such a cool head about this.   
Especially after having been strung around the country for weeks, while Daidouji Tomoyo  
was in the city the whole time...many were out for revenge.  
  
"We'll give him a warning," the chief continued, catching Kimako's disapproving glare in  
the rearview mirror. "And if he comes out along with Akizuki-san, just handcuff both  
of them -- No. One. Touches. Them. In any other way." He paused. "If he doesn't   
listen to the warning, then we'll just have to rush in and get him ourselves." He winced  
as he said this -- if that became the case, it certainly wasn't going to be a very pretty  
situation.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Eriol-sama, they're coming!" Nakuru was on them the moment they had stepped back  
into the house from the back door.  
  
Eriol looked as if he didn't care much any which way, so Spinel met Nakuru's eyes. "Put  
up a barrier," he barked -- that way, if they tried to blast their way in, they wouldn't  
be able to -- only brutal, physical strength would allow them to get through. He turned  
his gaze on his master. "Eriol-sama, you help us do it."  
  
Eriol sighed, but then stepped up to his moon guardian emotionlessly. Working quickly,  
they put up a barrier similar to the one that had kept Tomoyo inside the house, only  
with more force.  
  
"That should hold them," Nakuru voiced, dusting her hands in satisfaction. Spinel gave  
her a warning glance. "Not for long," he pointed out. "The police in this town are very  
persistent."   
  
Concern sprang to her eyes as Nakuru turned to face her master. "Eriol-sama...you have  
to promise to be careful," she told him pleadingly, steering him away from all the  
entrances.  
  
Eriol was about to give another nonchalant reply -- he really did deserve punishment  
for upsetting Tomoyo's life the way he had --, but at the look on Nakuru's face, he  
relented slightly. "I'll do my best," he murmured. "But if I think I really DO deserve the  
punishment.." he left the statement hanging. Nakuru and Spinel gave each other worried,  
slightly frightened looks.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Daidouji Tomoyo had completely stiffened, with the phone frozen at her ear, at the  
words her best friend had just spoken through the line.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura sounded a bit more frantic. "Are you still there?"  
"What do you mean, Hiiragizawa-kun might be in trouble?!" Tomoyo quickly shot over  
the line.  
  
Sakura sighed. "The police are after him -- I think practically the entire police force is  
on it. They're all headed to Eriol-kun's house...they found out he was the one who  
kidnapped you..."  
  
Tomoyo flinched hard at this statement. The whole time that she had been at Hiiragizawa  
Manor, she had never let Eriol forget the fact that he was holding her hostage...and   
reminding him now and then that he could get in trouble for it....but now that it was  
finally happening..  
  
Tomoyo shook her head in a negative, vehemently, as if she could deny that the   
situation was actually taking place. Eriol-kun...he could get hurt...HURT..  
  
"Tomoyo-chan!" Now Sakura sounded incredibly worried. "Are you okay?"  
With a start, Tomoyo realized that tears had started sliding down her face, and that  
a few choked sobs were escaping her. Just at the thought of Eriol...this really WAS her  
own fault. He didn't deserve this. SHE was the one who'd just HAD to go on a sudden,  
impulsive walk in the woods...SHE was the one who'd stumbled upon his secret, he'd  
really had no hand in it..  
  
"No.." she murmured. "I won't let them hurt him."  
Sakura was a bit confused at these words. "Tomoyo-chan..."  
  
"Sakura, I have to go," Tomoyo quickly cut her off. "I'll...talk to you later, alright?"  
She hung up the phone before her friend could even make another sound.   
She had just hung up on Sakura-chan...  
  
Tomoyo wasn't exactly thinking about that right now, however. She glanced uneasily at  
the door, throwing the pink phone onto her dresser. Her mother had said that she would  
be back soon...however, that had probably been over an hour ago. But dinner would  
almost be ready by now, and if Tomoyo was gone again when her mother called her  
down, she knew it would cause Sonomi to freak out again...but ERIOL-KUN..  
  
The debates rushed around and around in her head, but at that last one, she threw  
all caution to the wind. Grabbing her purse so that she would have a form of ID, she  
opened her bedroom window, preparing to sneak out the way she so often did.  
  
She had to get to Eriol. She had to help him This was all her fault in the first place  
...so nothing would get to him without going through her first.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakura replaced the phone slowly, confused beyond reason at her best friend's strange  
behaviour. On top of that, Tomoyo-chan had just HUNG UP on her...Sakura had never  
known Tomoyo to be rude, ever. Not that she held it against her, but...  
  
That proves it, she thought. Tomoyo-chan was in love...with Eriol-kun..  
  
It would be the sweetest thing, if Eriol-kun hadn't tried to kill her, and had kidnapped  
her best friend.  
But that wasn't the issue now. Sakura knew that Tomoyo-chan would be going over  
to Eriol-kun's house right now...she was going to help her friend in whichever way she  
possibly could.  
  
Dialing with urgent fingers, she began pacing the kitchen as she waited for the other  
person to answer their phone.  
Her big brother walked into the room, to begin preparing supper no doubt. "Hey kaijuu,"  
he greeted offhandedly.   
  
He did a double take when the only reaction Sakura gave was to walk out of the room.  
  
Syaoran picked up the phone. "Hello?"  
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura cried. "You've got to meet me, quick! Tomoyo-chan--"  
  
Syaoran blinked on the other end of the line, hardly being able to pick up a single word  
except for his friend's name through Sakura's babbling. "Sakura, calm down. Deep   
breaths -- you can't expect me to understand you when you're like that. Alright...what   
about Daidouji-san?"  
  
Sakura, after following Syaoran's advice, forced herself to speak slowly and clearly,   
although she was itching to run out of the house and find Tomoyo. "The police drove  
past my house not too long ago. I asked one of them where they were headed, and...  
they're going over to Eriol-kun's place. They found out that he was the one who   
kidnapped Tomoyo."  
  
Syaoran said nothing; Sakura knew that he didn't really like Eriol, and probably liked him  
a lot less by now, so she went on anyway. "Syaoran-kun, this isn't about Eriol-kun,  
not really. I called Tomoyo-chan just a few minutes ago and after I told her, she  
said she had to help him, and hung up on me, and I think she's going to try to intercept  
them." This had been said in one long stream, and Sakura panted for a few minutes,  
hearing Syaoran sigh in aggravation on the other end of the line.  
  
"Syaoran-kun, you have to meet me at Eriol's house," Sakura declared. "I'm following  
Tomoyo-chan, she may need help."  
Syaoran was silent for a second, and then, "Meet me there in ten minutes." Then he  
hung up without another word.  
  
Throwing aside her phone, Sakura raced to the front foyer and threw on her rollerblades.  
"Touya-'niichan, I'm going out!" she cried, already out the door.  
  
Touya stepped into the foyer, a scowl on his face. "Kaijuu, you're supposed to help me  
with dinner tonight--" he paused. Sakura was already gone, the front door left hanging  
open.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kimako glared up at the large manor as the chief of police's car pulled up. Osaka was  
too busy muttering into his communicator with the other police that were beginning to  
pull up, to pay much attention to him.  
  
Kimako scowled at the officer -- he didn't like the orders Osaka was giving at all. It  
sounded as if this Hiiragizawa guy was going to get off scot-free for the imprisonment  
of HIS mistress. 'No one touches him, only handcuff him, no one in the house without  
my order'...Kimako wanted REVENGE. This boy had kidnapped Mistress Tomoyo for two  
weeks...he deserved to be hurt. Very hurt actually...secretly, Kimako admitted that he  
wouldn't be satisfied with any orders the chief gave that were milder than "Shoot him  
on sight".  
  
The other police were now all over the large front lawn of Hiiragizawa Manor. Most of  
them caught a glimpse of curtains ruffling nervously through a few windows, one of the  
surest signs that someone was looking out those windows.   
  
Osaka pulled a bullhorn out of his car, turned it on, and spoke through it, calmly but  
firmly. "Hiiragizawa, we know you're in there. And we know you're responsible for the  
kidnapping of Daidouji Tomoyo. So if you're wise, you would come out now."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nakuru almost threw a fit when Eriol-sama was about to answer to the chief's   
command. Both herself and Spinel flung themselves on him, holding him back. "Eriol-sama,  
no!" Nakuru cried. "You aren't seriously going to listen to them?!"  
  
Eriol just looked up at her. "Nakuru, I told you already. It really would be better if we  
go down there now. I really DO deserve punishment after all, if they're here."  
"Eriol-sama." Spinel didn't even bother to hide the irritation in his voice. "Would you think  
about this for a moment? You're going to have a tough time explaining your way out  
of kidnapping Daidouji-san without coming across as incriminating. And are you honestly  
afraid of the POLICE? We can teleport out of here right now, you know."  
  
"What good would that do, Spinel?" Eriol demanded, also annoyed. "It would only delay  
it for a little while, but the matter would still hold, in Japan, and everywhere else."  
  
"Eriol-sama, PLEASE!" Tears had actually sprang to Nakuru's eyes as she gazed at her  
master imploringly. "You can't give yourself up...Spinel and I need you...and besides,  
it would upset Tomoyo-chan even more if you were in jail, or juvenile hall, or wherever  
they might put you. And Touya-kun told me about those places -- you CAN'T go there,  
Eriol-sama!"  
  
Outside of the manor, they could clearly hear another order issued, demanding for  
Eriol and Nakuru to come out of the house that moment.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hiiragizawa, Akizuki, no one here wants to resort to extreme and possibly violent   
measures," Osaka persisted through the bullhorn, as the rest of the officers stationed  
themselves in their assigned positions. "But we will if we must."  
  
Kimako was scowling discreetly at the chief; he was an idiot. It was plain to see that  
the boy wasn't going to come down. No smart criminal ever did -- and for Hiiragizawa  
to evade the police with Tomoyo-sama's case for nearly two weeks, he had to be   
incredibly smart.  
  
Kimako began backing away from the throng of police, inching his way toward the back  
of the house. His eyes narrowed in determination; if the police weren't going to issue a   
proper punishment for daring to kidnap HIS Tomoyo-sama...then he would do it himself.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tomoyo raced through the evening streets of Tomoeda, barely paying attention to the  
way some people were giving her odd looks. Her mind was one-track as of now, with  
only one goal in mind: get to Eriol-kun.  
  
I can't believe they found him out, she thought, pushing herself to go even faster, lest  
it was already too late. She wracked her brain frantically -- who could have possibly  
heard her conversation with Sakura-chan and Li-kun? Tomoyo had been positive that  
the entire vicinity was empty.  
  
But that somehow didn't matter as much as the disturbing idea that if Eriol did indeed  
get hurt...it would be all her fault...  
  
I won't let him get hurt, she vowed silently, careening around the corner of the   
Tsukimine shrine and plunging into the forest.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In record time, she had made it to Hiiragizawa Manor -- of course, the place would be  
difficult to miss, even if you hadn't spent a while living in it. That would probably be  
because of the huge knot of police officers that dotted the front lawn and walkway,  
along with the multitude of police cars. Tomoyo paled faintly; she didn't imagine that  
her disappearance would cause all THIS. But if it were this big...Eriol-kun...  
  
"Tomoyo-chan!"  
Tomoyo jumped and whirled around at the sound of her name being called shrilly. Sure  
enough, her best friends were now dashing up to her, looking as if they'd just run an  
eight hundred metre race. At top speed.  
  
"Sakura-chan, Li-kun...why are you here?" she asked in confusion.  
After a few moments of panting, Sakura straightened. "I called Syaoran-kun -- we   
thought you needed help. And besides, Eriol-kun is our friend too."  
  
"Ahem," Syaoran coughed audibly. Sakura rolled her eyes. "Okay, well, he's MY friend  
too."  
  
Tomoyo nodded her head briefly in gratitude, preoccupied as her amethyst gaze scanned  
the entire lawn. Several police officers were holding handcuffs and flashlights, the chief  
was issuing orders through his bullhorn....Tomoyo glanced up at the house carefully.  
She couldn't see any sign of Nakuru, Eriol, or Spinel.  
  
The chief issued a final order. "Officers, it seems that he isn't willing to listen to reason,  
so we're going to have to go in there. And take him by force."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes snapped back to the chief, wincing at the implied scene of what was  
about to happen. She was sure that Eriol would never show his powers unless provoked  
by certain death...but what about Nakuru-san, and Spinel-san..? And then if that   
happened, who knew what would come next?  
  
"No. They can't!" Tomoyo said frantically. Syaoran and Sakura glanced at her.   
"Daidouji-san--"  
  
Tomoyo wasn't listening; taking off like an arrow, she deftly made her way through  
the crowd, toward the chief, and ignoring Sakura calling her back.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Osaka pulled out his own pair of handcuffs and prepared to issue the order that the  
force could now enter the house.  
"Officer!" A clear voice reached his ear through the rest of the bustle on the lawn, and  
he turned. The voice was familiar...Osaka's eyes widened. Of course. Daidouji Tomoyo --  
he had talked to her a few times before. But what was she doing here? After all that  
Kimako had told him, he was sure this would have been the last place she would ever  
want to return to.  
  
"Daidouji-sama? What are you doing here?" the chief inquired.  
Pushing a direct path for herself toward him, with little of the politeness that was   
usually so characteristic of her, she finally stopped in front of him, meeting his eyes  
squarely. Now, not many people were able to do this -- Osaka could be quite an  
intimidating man.  
  
Of course, Tomoyo was a Daidouji. And if her mother were any example, Daidoujis   
weren't intimidated by anyone, being one of the richest families in town.  
  
"Chief," she said boldly. "You have to call off the police force."  
If Osaka hadn't been surprised before, he certainly was now. He ran her request through  
his mind, and the information about her kidnapping that he had been given. Something  
didn't add up here...  
  
"Call them off?" he repeated, dumbfounded. "But we're just about to serve justice to  
the one who imprisoned and tortured you, Daidouji-sama."  
Now it seemed that Daidouji-sama was the one who was surprised, her pretty violet  
eyes going about two sizes larger. "What?!" she cried.  
  
Osaka judged her expression carefully. "Hiiragizawa Eriol. He kept you imprisoned and  
submitted you to torture--"  
"That's the most absurd thing I have EVER heard!" Tomoyo shouted incredulously.  
"Eriol-kun would never do such a thing, to ANYONE!"  
  
"But...he didn't..you mean there was no mental, and possibly physical torture?" Now  
Osaka was confused, although Daidouji-sama just seemed plain stunned. Her eyes  
grew even larger if possible. The idea was so incredibly ridiculous to her.  
  
"I can't believe I'm even hearing this--" she managed to say, but was cut off by another  
police officer rushing up to the chief of the operation. "Osaka-sama, are you going to  
issue the order?"  
  
Tomoyo turned on him, purple gaze flashing. "There is going to be no order of any kind  
issued here!" she said firmly. Then, snatching the bullhorn from Osaka's hand, she  
climbed up onto the hood of one of the police cars. Osaka stared at her behaviour.  
"Daidouji-sama--"  
  
"Listen to me." Tomoyo's voice came out clear and firm through the megaphone, as if  
she had spoken through one all her life. "This is Daidouji Tomoyo -- I insist that all  
police officers step away from the house this second."  
  
Most of the police turned around at this in surprise, though if it was because of the  
order Daidouji-sama had issued or the fact that she was even here in the first place,  
Osaka wasn't sure. His men turned toward him in apprehension, unsure of what to do.  
He glanced uneasily at Daidouji-sama. "Do what she says," he seconded. Out of the  
corner of his eye, he noticed two kids about the same age as Tomoyo -- probably her  
friends -- who were gaping at the violet haired girl in complete shock. Well at least this  
wasn't confusing only him.  
  
Then, with a quick scan around the area, his mind had to wonder one more thing; just  
where had Kimako-san disappeared off to?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Her voice, magnified by the bullhorn, penetrated through the window of one of the  
upstairs room of Hiiragizawa Manor, allowing the occupants of the room to hear every-  
thing that Daidouji Tomoyo was saying, clear as a bell. And they just stared down at  
her in shock -- at least, one of them was in shock. Nakuru was squealing in triumph  
while Spinel just watched the young girl calmly.  
  
"This entire thing is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever witnessed," Tomoyo  
was accusing the police. "I don't know WHERE you got this crazy idea, but I can tell  
you that it wasn't at all a reliable source. You should be ashamed of yourselves, thinking  
that a twelve-year-old boy can do the things you're describing -- much less THIS boy.  
Eriol-kun would NEVER hurt me, he's one of my closest friends!" At this, even Spinel  
had to chuckle briefly at the looks of utter shock and disbelief that Sakura and Syaoran  
had cast her. Of course, by their knowledge, Eriol-sama and Tomoyo-san had barely  
spoken.  
  
He coughed, attempting to draw some of Eriol's attention to himself. "Now, Eriol-sama,  
in case you were having any doubts about how Daidouji-san feels about you..." he  
murmured.  
  
Nakuru giggled. "It's sooooo sweet!!" she trilled. "And it's the most beautiful thing I have  
ever seen -- she came as soon as she knew you were in trouble.." The light-chocolate  
haired guardian sighed in bliss, before casting her master a calculating look. "Well,  
Eriol-sama?"  
  
Eriol, though, seemed to be struck speechless as he stared at Tomoyo-san two stories  
below him. "I..." that was as far as he was able to go.   
  
Then, his sixth sense (or probably in his case, his tenth sense) picked up on something,  
something that wasn't right.  
Nakuru and Spinel were busy watching their former house guest tell off the police, so  
didn't pay much attention when Eriol slipped away from the window. "I'll be right back,"  
he said vaguely, heading out the door quietly. Once outside, his eyes narrowed slightly  
as he looked around, sweeping his house with his senses.  
  
Just as he'd thought. Someone was inside the manor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...And if anyone lays a finger on him," Tomoyo was about to conclude, scorching every  
police officer with a look that was every inch Daidouji Sonomi, "There WILL be some big  
trouble to pay."  
  
With that, she jumped down from the car and calmly handed the megaphone back to  
the chief. He took it back slowly, and she turned to him. "Where DID you get your   
information, anyway?" she asked suspiciously.   
  
Osaka blinked. "Well, the source was your bodyguard, which was why we naturally   
thought that it was true."  
  
Tomoyo blanched briefly, before a cold chill set in. Takao-san had said that neither of  
the bodyguards would tell a soul about anything until Tomoyo was ready...of course,  
the female bodyguards didn't really interact with Kimako-san...the chill got even more  
pronounced as she remembered that Kimako was the one who always picked her up   
from school now, and that it felt as if he followed her everywhere...meaning it would  
have been quite easy to eavesdrop on her conversation with Sakura and Syaoran,  
without arousing any suspicion..  
  
"Was it a male bodyguard?" she asked slowly. The chief simply nodded. "He said that  
you had told him everything that had happened during your kidnapping, and mentioned  
that you tell him everything all the time..." he trailed off at Tomoyo's suddenly pale   
and shocked face. "But none of it is true, is it?" he asked quietly.  
  
Tomoyo could only shake her head.  
Sakura and Syaoran, after plowing through the crowd of police officers, finally reached  
her side. "Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura cried, wanting to get some answers out of her best  
friend.   
  
But Tomoyo paid no attention to her, fixating her eyes on the chief of police again.  
"Did Kimako -- my bodyguard--, by any chance, come along on this arrest?" she asked  
quickly.   
  
Osaka nodded, looking around the lawn again. "Yes, but he doesn't seem to be here  
anymore...unless.." As both pairs of eyes landed on Hiiragizawa Manor, two minds drew  
the same conclusion.  
  
Oh no...Tomoyo cringed. Kimako HAD to be inside the house, she knew he wouldn't  
have gone anywhere. And knowing him, he would be furious. Way past furious. Kimako  
didn't even like her hanging around with boys at school -- he especially seemed to have  
a thing against Li-kun and Yamazaki-kun for some reason --, always scolding her that  
she was too young to be playing with boys.  
  
Where he had gotten that idea was beyond her -- she was almost thirteen, and had  
been hanging around Yamazaki since the second grade. Surely her mother must have  
told him that...  
  
But now that THIS particular boy had dared to kidnap her...  
  
Tomoyo lighted off for the manor.  
"Hoe! Tomoyo-chan, wait!" Sakura tried to call; it was no use. Prodding her gently by   
the arm, Syaoran gestured that they should follow her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Who are you?" Eriol demanded in a quiet voice, one that seemed far too eerily calm  
considering the situation he was in. Kimako's eyes narrowed; so it seemed that this  
boy had an attitude problem.  
  
It would make it that much more satisfying to take him out for good.  
  
"Just Kimako," he replied coolly, keeping his eyes warily on Hiiragizawa. "Number one  
loyal servant and personal bodyguard to Daidouji Tomoyo." He paused, then continued  
coldly. "You mess with her, then you tangle with me too."  
  
Eriol seemed unconcerned. "That's fine," he replied.   
Kimako gritted his teeth. "What exactly did you do with her when she was here?" he  
demanded in fury that he wasn't bothering to suppress.   
  
Eriol blinked. "You mean she didn't tell you?" he asked; this seemed to be the one thing  
that had surprised him. At Kimako's almost inconspicious growl, he cocked an eyebrow.  
"Then what are you doing here?"  
  
"Because I KNOW that you did something to her!" the bodyguard replied just as furiously.  
"She admitted it herself!"  
  
A clatter suddenly came from the staircase leading to the third floor, which they were  
on; a moment later, a brown haired teenaged girl and what SEEMED like some type of   
black panther came into sight. Kimako blinked at this, momentarily stunned into utter  
shock. The teenage girl turned to Eriol-sama after giving him a wary gaze. "Eriol-sama,  
what's going on?" she demanded; Kimako was even more surprised at this. According  
to what the chief had said, the girl -- who he assumed was Akizuki-san -- was older  
than Hiiragizawa and the guardian of this manor. Why would she refer to the boy as  
her superior?  
  
Kimako bared his teeth and turned to Hiiragizawa. "What IS going on?" he echoed Nakuru,  
then pointed to the panther. "And what is that?"  
Eriol threw Nakuru and Spinel a sharp look. "Nakuru, Spinel, go back downstairs," he said  
in a voice that allowed no opposition. Too commanding, in Kimako's opinion, especially  
for a twelve year old.   
  
"No, you haven't answered my question yet," he declared. Even more to his fury, Eriol  
and the other two ignored him. Eriol gave the other two a cold glare when they   
hesitated, disobeying his order. "Didn't you two hear me?"  
  
"But--" began Akizuki-san.  
"Eriol-sama--" the panther did the same; Kimako nearly jumped in surprise. The panther  
could speak...  
  
Eriol gave them an icy stare, to which they quickly scampered back down the staircase.  
Then he turned back to face the older man, impassive. "Now, where were we?"  
"What in the world was that?" demanded Kimako, referring to the panther.   
Eriol pretended not to hear this. "You haven't answered my own question. What are you  
doing here if you don't know what's going on? Did Tomoyo-san tell you?"  
  
Kimako wasn't sure exactly what was starting to make him see red: the fact that this  
delinquent was calling HIS mistress by her true name, or the fact that Tomoyo hadn't,  
in truth, told him anything at all. He snarled. "I actually overheard her telling her two  
friends," he replied with much dignity. "But I know she would have come straight to me,  
if you hadn't threatened her to silence."  
  
Eriol's neutral mask slipped; not for more than an instant, but it had definetly slipped --  
to reveal his own anger at that statement. "I don't know what it is you're referring to,  
but I did not threaten Tomoyo-san." This was said with extreme calm...almost eerily  
calm, in fact.  
  
Kimako's eyes narrowed even more. "Stop calling her that," he said, barely above a  
whisper. "This only proves my point -- you must have succumbed her to some kind of  
torture. She would never have given you permission to call you by her real name."  
  
Eriol managed to curb his rage, and his incredible desire to zap the bodyguard into non-  
existence. He laughed instead, a slightly mocking laugh. "Oh really?" he asked, almost  
in amusement, which Kimako hated. "Why don't you ask her about that? Or wouldn't  
she tell you?"  
  
Kimako clenched his fists. "Don't even say that!" he shouted. "Tomoyo-sama tells me  
everything, and I know every little thing about her...I'm one of the most important   
people in her life! I'm THE most important male in her life!"  
  
Eriol had to raise a scoffing eyebrow at this; strange, that Tomoyo had never, in fact,  
mentioned THIS particular "important person in her life". Then a shocking realization hit  
him. He stared at the bodyguard opposite him. "You love her, don't you?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Tomoyo had begun knocking frantically on the door. After a moment, Nakuru  
answered, but instead of her usual ecstatic greeting, she gave Tomoyo a worried look,  
her face oddly pale. "Tomoyo-chan," she said simply, looking as if she were about to  
burst into tears.  
  
This only confirmed Tomoyo's suspicions, and now the emotion in her heart was fear.  
"Nakuru-san, where's Eriol-kun?" she demanded.  
Nakuru sighed and gestured toward the ceiling. "The third floor," was all she would say.  
  
And apparently, that was enough. Tomoyo shot past her and up the stairs. Remembering  
the tour Eriol had given her, she found the staircase to the third floor with ease.  
  
Behind her, she could hear pounding footsteps, and paw-steps; perhaps not surprisingly,  
Nakuru, Spinel, and most likely Sakura-chan and Li-kun were tailing her.  
  
Upon reaching the third floor, Tomoyo's suspicions were confirmed again. Two people   
were there, both of which she knew, one of them she really cared about. They whirled   
around to face her at the sound of footsteps; she saw Eriol's eyes widen faintly. Paying   
no attention whatsoever to Kimako-san, and having little control over herself, she flung  
herself into Eriol's arms, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug, tears springing to   
her amethyst eyes and beginning to trail down her cheek. "Eriol-kun!"  
  
Eriol, for his part, looked completely thunderstruck, slowly putting his arms around her.  
"Ms. Tomoyo..." he said weakly, pulling her back slightly. "What are you doing here?"  
"I'm sorry Eriol-kun." Drying her eyes, Tomoyo apologized profusely. "This really is my  
fault.."  
  
Neither of the two noticed the quartet who had stopped halfway up the stairs and  
were simply gaping; Sakura and Syaoran with eyes as large as dinner plates, while  
Nakuru was practically floating on cloud nine, and Spinel gave a satisfied nod and smile.  
  
They also didn't notice Kimako's hands clench into even tighter fists as he got into a  
stance. A fighting stance. It didn't help that he didn't know what was going on -- all  
he could see was his dearest mistress...embracing the boy who had kidnapped her, and  
completely ignoring HIM..  
  
"I shouldn't have said anything," said Tomoyo, shaking her head. "I don't regret telling  
Sakura-chan and Li-kun...but I didn't KNOW that Kimako-san was there too, and that  
all this would happen.."  
  
Eriol tilted his head momentarily; so THAT was what had happened. Somewhere inside,  
he wasn't surprised.   
"But why did you come back..?" This was what really confused him; he had let her go,  
she would never have to return here if she didn't want to...  
"Eriol-kun, you were in trouble--" began Tomoyo, staring up at him with wide violet  
eyes.  
  
Kimako growled. "Tomoyo-sama! Get away from him!" he ordered, stepping forward.  
Tomoyo froze, then turned to glare at him...with true anger, something that only Eriol  
had ever seen in her, and only that one time in the kitchen.  
  
"You!" she said angrily. "If this is anyone's fault but mine, it's yours. How could you  
cause all this -- and WHAT are you doing up here anyway? I don't know who you think  
you are, Kimako-san--"  
  
"This boy KIDNAPPED you!" Kimako shouted in frustration. "He had nearly the entire  
town in an uproar, he could've hurt you...I didn't want anything to happen to you,   
Tomoyo-sama, I love you!"  
  
"Eriol-kun would NEVER--" Tomoyo began in a shout, before the magnitude of what he'd  
said hit her. Over by the staircase, there were now sixteen eyes that were gigantic in  
disbelief; Tomoyo herself felt her jaw drop open, all speech torn from her throat --   
however, glancing at Eriol, she saw that he didn't seem the least bit surprised. Tomoyo  
went paler than usual, still gaping at her bodyguard...the only male bodyguard she had..  
it suddenly struck her how obvious it had really been all along, especially in the way  
he would get far too overprotective when he saw her around guys from her school..  
  
"K-Kimako-san..." she attempted to choke something out.  
Kimako glared even more harshly at Eriol. "Stay away from her, or I swear I'll have you  
arrested right this instant," he threatened.  
  
Eriol merely raised an eyebrow again, looking completely unconcerned. But Tomoyo  
was livid. "Kimako-san, you can't threaten my friend like that," she told him in a voice  
clearly fighting to remain calm, forgetting all about what he'd just admitted to her.   
  
The bodyguard's gaze turned back to her in shock. "Tomoyo-sama, he kidnapped you   
and held you hostage in this very house...surely you can't forgive him for that!"  
"Kimako, I forgave him a LONG time ago," Tomoyo told him. "Especially since he really  
didn't have much choice..and he could have done something far worse, but he didn't."  
  
"He hurt you!" This was snarled out. Tomoyo's eyes flashed angrily. "He did NOT--"  
she began, before Eriol stepped up, cutting her off with the look he gave her bodyguard.  
The true calm before the storm. "I. Would. Never. Hurt. Tomoyo-san," he said in clipped,  
deadly tones. "Let's get that clear right now."  
  
"STOP CALLING HER THAT!!" Kimako screamed in rage; without warning, he suddenly  
had a knife in his hand and was charging at the young magician.   
  
It processed in slow motion for Tomoyo, but she could understand SOME of Kimako's  
logic -- he had a gun as well, she knew that, but for sure if he fired that, the police  
would come running.  
  
Still, it was clear that the man was insane.  
And he was about to hurt Eriol.  
  
When that thought clicked, she quickly jumped in front of Eriol and pushed them both  
out of the way -- however, she was not quick enough. Kimako's blade sank deeply into  
her arm, the bottom side of her elbow, quickly staining the pale skin and her clothes   
scarlet.  
  
The pain, although incredibly intense, surprisingly didn't last that long. By the time she'd  
crumpled to her knees, clutching the stab wound, Tomoyo found that her arm had gone  
completely numb.   
  
Eriol dropped to his knees in front of her immediately after he saw her fall. "Tomoyo!"  
he cried, taking her shoulders. "Are you alright?" Through her slightly hazed vision, she  
noticed that at least he had been left untouched; she breathed a sigh of relief, although  
it came out as a whimper of pain.   
  
One which tore straight through Eriol's heart...and after that came the rage, the   
uncontrollable rage. A wall seemed to fall over his eyes, shading them dark and stormy.  
Gently resting the violet-haired girl against the wall, he stood up, and slowly turned to  
face her "bodyguard", who was now being restrained by Spinel, Nakuru, and Syaoran --  
who had his sword out, by the way.  
  
Eriol was going to use his magic, Tomoyo knew. And by the look on his face...it certainly  
wasn't going to be pretty..  
Sakura was suddenly at her side. "Tomoyo-chan!" she squealed in horror. "Are you okay?  
Can you hear me?" The wound on her best friend's arm was rapidly spurting blood..lots  
of it..Tomoyo was now looking paler than she ever had before.  
  
But she didn't notice, watching in apprehension as Eriol slowly approached Kimako,   
emitting a powerful aura that even mortals could see. Kimako-san suddenly looked a lot  
more intimidated, through his shock at what had just happened..what he had just done.  
  
"You hurt her." Eriol's voice could freeze ice.  
Kimako glared boldly at him. "YOU hurt her," he returned accusingly. "YOU were the one  
that kidnapped her, and then you pushed her in front of you so she would get hit--"  
  
At that, the sorcerer released a blast of energy which threw the young bodyguard   
against the opposite wall, knocking the air out of him. Eriol advanced again, his eyes  
narrowed into slits. "I dare you to say that again," he said, very quietly.  
  
Kimako was now looking at him in fear; this boy was much more than a delinquent...he  
was evil... "What are you?" he whispered.  
  
Tomoyo realized with a shock that Eriol was going to kill him. With a small gasp, she tried  
to stand up to stop him -- for some reason, her legs couldn't support her, and she fell  
back to the ground. Sakura grabbed her arm to break the fall. "Tomoyo-chan, where  
are--"  
  
"We can't let Eriol kill him," Tomoyo whispered urgently, fighting to get back up again.  
Sakura's eyes widened as her gaze snapped to the navy-haired boy. "Eriol-kun, wait!"  
she cried.  
  
"Hiiragizawa, it's not worth it," Syaoran also tried to stop him. Nakuru and Spinel didn't  
know what to do except to watch their master in fear.  
It seemed that none of these words reached through to Eriol, as he continued to   
advance on Kimako. "That's for me to know and you to mind your own business," he  
replied to the guard's earlier question, in the same quiet tone.  
  
"So that's how you threatened her," Kimako said in realization. "With your 'powers' --  
no wonder she was too terrified to tell me anything." His arrogance continued to the  
end.  
  
And Eriol was getting extremely sick of it. Especially at that last one...his hand glowed  
red as he slowly raised it...  
  
"Eriol-kun."  
  
That one soft, quiet voice gone weak in pain, reached through his subconscious, through  
his fury, and pierced his heart effectively. He turned to face Tomoyo -- she was now  
trembling, and her face was ashen, but she still shook her head. Although she had  
every reason to want this guy dead.. "Don't," was all she said.  
  
And Eriol was lost, his fury shattering. He couldn't do it; knowing that Tomoyo would  
hold it against him forever..  
Casting one last, icy glare at Tomoyo's bodyguard, he ran back to Tomoyo's side and  
knelt next to her. "Tomoyo...are you okay?" he asked, glancing feverently at her arm.  
  
Tomoyo looked down at it; strange, she had almost forgotten that the cut was there.  
Her entire arm was completely numb now, it barely felt as if it were there. She blinked  
down at the "cut" -- it certainly couldn't be called that. The scarlet substance was  
now all over the front of her outfit and her arm...and still bleeding.  
  
"I guess it went deeper than I thought..." she began, but couldn't finish, as her world  
faded into darkness.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Murmured words....  
Muffled voices....  
  
This was all that was reaching through to Tomoyo as she regained consciousness slowly,  
still floating in a sea of blackness. But at least her arm wasn't feeling numb anymore.  
  
Sakura's voice reached her. "Tomoyo-chan...if you can hear me, I just needed to tell  
you...if you're in love with Eriol-kun, then it's alright. It's a great thing. I don't know  
how Syaoran-kun feels about this, though." A faint laugh. "But I'm really happy for you,  
Tomoyo-chan, and for Eriol-kun too, because it's easy to see that he loves you back.  
And Tomoyo-chan, I am so happy that you've found someone that you can love best  
and that can love you best too."  
  
Tomoyo had to wonder how on earth Sakura could read all these things between the  
lines and STILL not be able to see what Li-kun felt for her. It boggled the mind.  
  
She tried to open her eyes; a harsh light was pressing through them, and her eyelids  
felt so heavy. A tiny moan escaped her.  
"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked hesitantly, then shouted, "She's awake!"  
  
The shout did nothing to ease Tomoyo's growing headache -- but by the time her eyes  
had opened fully, she found herself staring into midnight azure eyes, which were boring  
into hers worriedly. Tomoyo had been positive that Eriol-kun hadn't been there a   
minute ago..  
  
"Ms. Tomoyo? How are you feeling?" he asked with deep concern, placing a hand gently  
on her forehead and brushing away a few violet strands.  
Tomoyo was at a loss for words for a moment, due to his closeness. "I-I kind of have  
a headache," she admitted slowly.  
Eriol nodded briefly, closing his eyes in concentration. After a few moments, Tomoyo  
suddenly found that her headache had vanished; she looked up at the sorcerer in  
suspicion. "You cast a spell, didn't you?"  
  
Eriol gave a slight smirk, still looking incredibly relieved. "Would you rather keep the pain?"  
he asked innocently.  
  
Sakura, who had managed to stay quiet during this little scene -- probably because she  
was too busy silently "hanyaan-ing" over the utter cuteness of it all --, glanced at  
Tomoyo's arm, which was tightly bandaged. It had only just stopped bleeding about  
fifteen minutes ago. A worried frown crossed the Card Mistress's face. "Tomoyo? Does  
your arm feel okay?"   
  
Tomoyo sat up in bed, noticing that she was back in her guest room at Hiiragizawa   
Manor. She also noticed her bandaged arm. Flexing her fingers slowly, she shook  
her head. "It was all numb before, but it's alright now, I can feel it again."  
"Good," Sakura sighed in relief, then stood up from her seat. "But I'm going to go get  
you another bandage, just in case -- I have to see what Syaoran-kun's up to right now,  
anyway," she said brightly, exiting the room.  
  
Tomoyo turned to her former captor. "Where's Kimako-san?" she asked quietly, almost  
afraid of the answer.   
Seeing her fear, Eriol had to smile. "Don't worry, I didn't hurt him," he reassured her.  
"I erased his memory, though, and handed him over to the police -- Nakuru and Xiao  
Lang are probably still restraining him though."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes widened at that. "The police?" She sat up straighter in bed, looking at  
Eriol apprehensively. "Eriol...what are you going to do about them?"  
Eriol's manner suddenly became much more subdued, as he turned away from her  
purple gaze.  
  
"Eriol-kun?" This was barely said above a whisper.  
Eriol walked over to the open bay window, unsure of how to answer her. "Tomoyo-san..."  
Tomoyo knew what was coming next. "You're leaving, aren't you?" she demanded   
quietly.  
  
"I have to," Eriol told her, descending to his knees in front of the window as he stared  
out over Tomoeda. "Even if...if the accusations aren't completely true...I still kidnapped  
you."  
"Eriol, nobody's going to do anything to you because of that," Tomoyo insisted, coming  
up behind him. "I made sure of that."  
  
"Tomoyo, it won't last long," Eriol pointed out the obvious to her. "It doesn't matter even  
if you could protect me -- the fact still stands. I have to leave for a while, to let things  
die down."  
  
Tomoyo dropped to her knees next to him, tears already beginning to brim in her eyes.  
She had just found him again, found out what she really felt for him..she couldn't lose  
him again... "Then take me with you," she insisted.  
  
Eriol blinked at that, staring at her, then shook his head. "Tomoyo-san, wouldn't that   
make it WORSE?" he asked in a wry tone. "I'd just be kidnapping you again--"  
  
"I-I-.. I don't want to be apart from you again Eriol, today was horrible enough, I wouldn't  
be able to stand it--" She threw herself at him, clutching him tightly, as if afraid he would   
slip away if she let go. She had admitted more than she should have, after all those  
times of berating Eriol about kidnapping her..but WHY couldn't she admit the one thing  
that she wanted most to say?  
  
Coming back to his senses, Eriol embraced Tomoyo again slowly, gently stroking her long  
hair as something similar to the pain he'd been feeling earlier ran through him. But it  
felt better, somehow. "I'm sorry I kept you so long," he murmured softly, holding her  
tight. "I never should have...I should have let you go sooner, so this wouldn't happen  
and you wouldn't be like this--"  
  
"Eriol, I don't regret you kidnapping me at all!" Tomoyo told him stubbornly, pulling back  
slightly. Then she frowned slightly, realizing what she'd just let slip.  
  
Eriol gave a little chuckle at this. "Could've fooled me. But that's the one thing I don't   
regret about this either, Ms. Tomoyo. I don't regret spending time with you, learning   
things about you...I don't regret any of the many things you've taught me, and the way   
you've made me such a better person...I don't regret falling in love with you, either...  
even though I was the first to break our promise."  
  
Tomoyo said nothing to this...yes, she knew that Eriol had fallen for her -- but what  
about HERSELF? She was so confused now...he always made her that way.  
  
Eriol sighed. "I really do have to leave, Ms. Tomoyo..there's business in England that I   
have to take care of, anyway."  
England. Miles away...it might as well be another planet...  
  
"Then please take me with you, Eriol," Tomoyo pleaded. "I don't want to be alone   
without you...you're the only person who has ever made me feel so whole and not-  
alone.."  
  
"Tomoyo, I can't--"  
"Why did you release me?" This had been the question on her mind since the moment  
he'd removed the barrier around the large house. He HAD to have known that all this  
would happen...Eriol was very intelligent.  
  
He smiled at her a little ruefully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You were  
unhappy here," he said softly. "I know you missed your family, and Sakura-san and  
the rest...I couldn't keep you away from them anymore, seeing how sad it made you.  
Just like I can't do it now."  
  
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Tomoyo asked, faintly curious. "I WAS a bit homesick,  
but.." She really DID want to know -- during her last few days here, she had been  
positive that she'd concealed it extremely well.  
  
"Not well enough, Ms. Tomoyo." There was teasing in his voice, and she frowned a bit;  
AGAIN with the mind reading. "But really, what made you come to that decision?"  
"Last night...when you made a wish upon those shooting stars," Eriol explained. "Wasn't  
that your wish?" Now he looked a bit confused himself.  
  
Tomoyo stared at him, then laughed a bit through her tears. "Silly Eriol! Of all the times  
that you SHOULD have actually read my mind..." She shook her head, with a small smile.  
"I DID miss my home life, and I was very happy to see everyone again...but I was happy  
with you too. My wish was actually.." She paused. "I wished to be able to stay like we  
were yesterday, with you forever--" she broke off.  
  
Eriol froze, not knowing what to say. Tomoyo looked down, giving another tiny smile. "I  
honestly never thought that any of this would happen..."  
"..Very unexpected," Eriol concluded with a nod.  
  
She turned back to him, mauve eyes shining in tears. "Please don't leave," she whispered.  
He wrapped her in a tight hug, softly quieting her. "Tomoyo...there's nothing I desire  
more right now than to just stay with you forever. I know what you went through..today  
was..."  
  
"Undescribable torture?" Tomoyo guessed, her voice muffled by his shoulder.  
He laughed. "Yeah, that sums it up. It hurt more than anything...and I don't ever want  
to go through it again..but--"  
  
Tomoyo sniffled in pain. "It's not fair," she said.  
Eriol shook his head. "No, it's not." He pulled back and stared at her seriously. "But   
Tomoyo...I promise you this. I'll come back again, just for you."  
Tomoyo stared up at him, then shook her head. "Eriol, you shouldn't make promises like  
that, that you don't know you'll be able to keep. My father left too, he promised he'd  
come back..and he didn't--"  
  
Eriol sighed, then pulled away from her slightly to stare out the open window, deep in  
concentration. A bit confused about this, Tomoyo followed his gaze, wondering just  
what was so fascinating about the night sky. She gasped slightly as she saw another  
star falling -- the gasp became strangled as she realized that the star was headed right  
for her! She scrambled back. "Eriol--"  
  
Eriol smiled, with a touch of amusement as he watched her. "Hold out your hands, Ms.  
Tomoyo," he suggested.  
Wordlessly, she did so; to her complete shock, the falling star fell gently right into her  
pale cupped hands, like a glittering jewel..it wasn't even burning her hands. Tomoyo   
stared at it wide-eyed. "Oh my gosh, this is impossible. It's against all logic, even for  
you--"  
  
"Then what are you holding?" Eriol asked teasingly.  
She blinked. "I don't know...but this is completely impossible."  
"I suppose you'd say this is impossible too." Pointing a finger at the glittering object that  
was supposedly from outer space, the "star" suddenly transformed into a delicate silver  
necklace which sported a beautiful amethyst.  
  
Tomoyo blinked again. "I believe you once said something about not flaunting your  
powers," she remarked dryly.  
"I'll choose to ignore that," Eriol simply replied, taking the necklace from her and   
fastening it around her neck; Tomoyo gave a slight shudder as his fingers brushed the  
back of her neck. She held up the jewel. "This is very pretty," she murmured.  
  
"I should imagine you'd be used to seeing amethysts by now," Eriol answered. She  
blushed a bit, realizing the implied statement. "See? THAT'S how you kept cheating,"  
she said, mildly accusing.  
  
Eriol smiled secretively but said nothing. "Anyway, you should wear that necklace from  
now on. It's amethyst now...when I leave, it'll turn into a sapphire. And then when I  
come back, you'll know instantly because it'll become an amethyst again." He paused.  
"But if I don't come back in ten years...the necklace will shatter, and I put all my magic  
into it, so my own magic will be broken too.."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes widened as she snapped her gaze up at him. "Eriol-kun, you really   
shouldn't--"  
Eriol silenced her effectively with a kiss on her forehead. "I'm that serious about it, Ms.  
Tomoyo," he told her, tilting her head up. "Because I really do love you."  
  
And I you, was all that she could think, staring into the tainted cerulean...but the words  
still wouldn't come out.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The dawn came early the next morning, shining into a certain guest bedroom on the  
second floor of Hiiragizawa Manor. And in that very bedroom lay an occupant who had  
been there for the last two weeks...however this time, she wasn't alone.  
  
(A/N: Just in case anyone's getting the wrong idea out there...NO!! I did NOT mean it  
that way! It's just a cute little-kids-sleeping-in-the-same-bed-as-each-other thing.)  
  
The slowly rising sun woke up the keeper of the manor first, Hiiragizawa Eriol sat up in  
bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he noticed that he had fallen asleep in the  
clothes he'd been wearing the day before. His midnight sapphire eyes traveled to the  
sleeping Daidouji Tomoyo right next to him -- for one of the few, but more recent, times  
in his life, Eriol flushed red, smiling a little as he remembered why Tomoyo was sleeping  
in the same bed as him. It really wasn't her fault that she'd fallen asleep on him AGAIN..  
he'd meant to teleport her back to her house, but he supposed he must have fallen  
asleep himself.  
  
He slid a long, dark violet strand back behind her ear, looking down subduedly as a few  
more events from the evening past came back...it had been quite the long night. And  
then...today was the day..  
  
He smiled slightly again at Tomoyo -- if she had responded to his little confession the  
night before, had said anything that even resembled those three special words..he  
would've stayed through anything with her, no matter what. But that was partly the  
reason why he was leaving -- he knew she had to sort things out for herself..without  
him.  
  
But God...he'd miss her more than anything..  
  
The door to the bedroom flung open and Nakuru bounded in, closely followed by Spinel,  
who looked ready to kill..preferably the moon guardian. Spinel was not a morning person.  
  
"'Morning, Master!" she chirped brightly, more brightly than anyone had a right to be  
this early in the morning. She was dressed in what she called her 'traveling suit'. "We   
figured you might be in here, since you weren't in any other room in the house. We're   
ready to leave! Did you sort things out with--" she cut off abruptly as her eyes landed on   
Tomoyo and grew two sizes larger. "OH MY DEAR GOD!!" she screamed.  
  
"Nakuru, keep it down!" Eriol snapped, indicating that Tomoyo was still asleep.  
Nakuru, however, was already pacing around in disbelief. "That is so WRONG, Eriol-sama--  
oooh, I TOLD you we shouldn't have left them alone together that late at night, Suppi-  
chan!" she accused the floating sun guardian. "Didn't I tell you so?"  
  
Eriol's jaw dropped, and he flushed again as he realized what Nakuru was talking about.  
"Ruby Moon!" he exclaimed, glaring at her. "I would never--"  
  
"Ahem!" Spinel cleared his throat, calling Nakuru's attention back to him. "If you don't   
mind my pointing out, Ruby Moon, since you were EVER so observant but still happened   
to somehow miss this..." he gestured to their master and their former houseguest. "They  
are still wearing their clothes. And for goodness sake, Ruby, really! HOW old are they  
again?"  
  
Eriol sighed; honestly, how HAD his creations ended up with such warped minds?  
Nakuru crossed her arms in a faint huff, reflecting on how much she hated it when   
Suppi-chan was right. She turned back to Eriol. "Eriol-sama...our bags are all packed,  
and the flight leaves in an hour..are you ready?" She glanced hesitantly at Tomoyo.  
  
Eriol gave the sleeping girl a look as well. Then with a sigh, he chanted a quick spell to  
teleport her back to her room at home, making the move as gently as possible. Then  
he stood up from the bed.  
  
I love you, Tomoyo...I know that may be an unforgivable crime, but I honestly hope that  
you never forget it.  
  
"Eriol-sama?" Spinel's voice broke through his thoughts.   
Eriol gave his guardian a reassuring smile. "Yes, Spinel..I'm ready."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*~Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the Beast~*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~The End~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay, for everyone who wanted a happy ending -- and that's pretty much everyone  
who read this story -- do NOT KILL ME YET!! *backs away from torch-holders and  
guns* ^^* The story doesn't REALLY end here...I'm going to make an epilogue.  
Not a sequel (I suck at those), but an epilogue that will hopefully be just as good.  
I hope everyone got the way the events that happened in this chapter tie in with  
the movie just a little bit -- it certainly wasn't canon to the Disney movie (I warned  
you though, didn't I? ^_~), but yeah, there were some references. Again, like  
Kimako-san *coffcoff*Gaston*coffcoff*, and the way the police came to Eriol's  
house, like the mob in the movie.   
  
Again, even though I thanked everyone already earlier, I have to do it again: THANK  
YOU TO EVERYONE who read this little E+T of mine -- you know, I'll never be able  
to stop thanking you all. This is the official last chapter, but there WILL be  
an epilogue. Once again, though, please email me at starviewcom@hotmail.com for  
any comments or anything, and if you're reading this at FF.Net, please leave a review.  
And, for those who've been asking, my first E+T is up at Fanfiction.Net, under my  
nickname 'Starchick' -- it's called "Make Me Bad" (although it's pretty bad also -_-*)  
Well, thanks AGAIN everyone, love you all!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~Starchick 


	10. Default Chapter

People are going to kill me for this....I really, really have to apologize for taking so long  
on this!! Everyone, I know you're ready to slaughter me, but the epilogue's finally up,  
so please don't shoot! *cringes* I had really bad roadblock for what to do as an  
epilogue -- considering they never really had one in the Disney movie. But this isn't  
exactly canon to the movie anyway, so...here it is! Warning: there are many different  
cultural mentions in this fic (I was doing a project on Europe, and the information kinda  
stuck ^^*), it's pretty fluffy in some cases, a little more serious in other places, and  
just a _teensy_ bit limey at the very end -- you judge ;p. Also, the theme has changed  
slightly, to fit the Amy Skye song...you'll understand if you read. It may seem a bit long  
and boring at the beginning, but I really think that it fits together well and relates to the   
entire story, so...hope you enjoy! And it's finally done!  
  
And one other thing...um, Priya-chan brought to my attention that some of my chaptering  
system is messed up at Fanfiction.Net (though I don't know HOW that happened)...  
does anyone know how I can fix it? Please tell me if you do, okay, and thanks!  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura, Celine Dion's 'Beauty and the Beast', nor  
Amy Skye's 'I Believe in Us'...which is really too bad, because all these are  
wonderful, and you all need to see/listen to them. *sobs*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TALE AS OLD AS TIME:   
  
~I Believe In Us~   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(Eight Years Later)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A single young woman strolled along the Promenade de Anglais in Nice, on the French  
Riviera, watching and examining the people around her with casualty. Nice was a very  
popular tourist attraction, and people from all kinds of nationalities: Spanish, Russian,  
English, French, and in her case, Japanese, came to walk along this famous walkway and  
simply enjoy the warmth of the sun and the Mediterranean Sea.  
  
This young woman technically was no different than any other person there. She   
appeared to be between eighteen to twenty years of age, just old enough to be walking  
alone like this and not arouse any suspicion. Yet somehow, she stood out among all  
others there; male heads would turn like steel attracted to a magnet when she did  
nothing but pass them by. It was for a reason, however. This lady was incredibly  
beautiful, a beauty that seemed to have been passed down from the angels. Long,  
violet black hair pulled back from glistening amethyst eyes that seemed so much older,  
and more worldly than her years, set in a creamy pale face, she walked with practiced   
ease and moved with natural elegance, dressed in a powder blue dress which matched   
the ribbon that held her hair back. The lady was stylish, as her dress was obviously   
Parisian and high fashion.  
  
Yet she paid no attention to the stares she was beginning to draw; indeed she looked  
all too used to it. Stopping at a cafe, she sat down at one of the outdoor patio tables,  
crossed her legs, and waited for somebody. For a moment, she stared transfixed at   
the shimmering sea that was not far away, then she opened one of the notebooks she  
had been carrying, ordering a small drink in flawless French when the waiter came over  
briefly.  
  
Daidouji Tomoyo smiled softly as she pulled the latest letter of Hiiragizawa Eriol out of  
her notebook, skimming over the page yet again. He had written it from Spain, where,  
to her knowledge, was the last place he'd been for one of his mysterious business trips.  
That had been almost a month ago. She sighed as he mentioned it; his business was what  
had made him leave eight years before, and she hadn't seen him since.  
  
And would never see him again, her ever-rational mind reminded her yet again. And a  
wave of sadness threatened to sweep over her, but she firmly battled against it; she  
would _not_ allow herself to be like this. Not today.  
  
A carefree laugh, almost like a child's, caught her attention; immediately, she looked up  
with a brighter smile aimed at her two best friends. "Li-kun, Sakura-chan, hi," she  
greeted. "Did you enjoy yourselves?"  
  
A small, yellowish thing partially popped out of Sakura's handbag with an impish grin.  
"Tomoyo-chan, forgetting about me?" it asked in an injured tone. "I never knew you  
could be so rude."  
  
Tomoyo wrinkled her nose playfully with a teasing smile toward the Guardian Beast of  
the Clow Seal. "And Kero-chan, how could I ever forget about you? Please forgive  
me?" She laid it on thick, wickedly trying to make him feel guilty.  
  
The cinnamon haired young woman that was her best friend gave another trill of laughter  
at something her husband had said, and sat down at the table next to her. "Tomoyo-  
chan!" she greeted exuberantly, the way she did everything. "This is great. I love Nice,  
it's so beautiful, isn't it? The sights, the people, the sea -- the sea! I can't _wait_ to  
go swimming in the Mediterranean!"  
  
Li Syaoran sat down across from Tomoyo, rolling his eyes teasingly at her as his wife  
continued to enthuse. Tomoyo just had to laugh lightly at her friend's manner; it didn't  
matter whether she was nine or nineteen, Li Sakura's innocence hadn't faded in the  
least.  
  
"It was _so_ nice of Sonomi-san to invite us along with you, even though it's your  
birthday!" Sakura went on.  
Tomoy pulled a shocked face as the waiter came back, and setting her own drink on  
the table, took the order of the other two. Or rather, she ordered for them -- Sakura  
and Syaoran weren't as familiar with the language. "Why Sakura-chan! How would I ever   
have a happy birthday without you two around?" she asked when the waiter had gone.   
"I could never!"  
  
The waiter came back again, and left just as quickly. Syaoran simply rolled his eyes again  
at the antics of the two women. "Well, I have to hand it to Daidouji-sama; she did an  
admirable job of convincing the Li Clan. It wasn't half as hard as I thought it would be.  
Then again, it could be that they've all gone softer because of the charm of the little   
Cherry Blossom here." He teasingly pulled Sakura toward him to tickle her, and she pouted,   
giggling as she struggled to pull away. "Syaoran!" she protested. Kero rolled his eyes in   
disgust at the antics of his mistress and his new master, and he took a sip from both of   
their drinks.  
  
Tomoyo smiled in exhilaration, getting out of her chair for a moment and pulling out her  
camera to take the snapshot -- a perfect Kodak moment. How she had missed this when  
they were in Hong Kong. Her mother had sensed this, of course; it was part of the reason  
they were here together.  
  
Sakura managed to escape from Syaoran without resulting to a big scene, and shooed  
Kero away from her glass. "So Tomoyo, what did you do when you decided to go off on  
your own?" she enquired curiously.  
  
"Just wandering around, sketching some of the sights and getting some ideas for new   
fashion lines for the French branch of Mother's corporation," Tomoyo told her, sitting back   
down. "In a way, I was basically touring around the way you guys were, but I know   
where there are a lot of nice places here; I've been here before, a long time ago. Mother   
knew that the French Riviera was my most favourite place -- I suppose that's why she   
chose this as the place to spend my actual birthday."  
  
Sakura grinned happily. "I can imagine; it's really so beautiful! I'd say it's prettier than  
the other places we went to, but all those places were really nice too. What are all  
the places we've been to again?"  
  
Kero checked off on his tiny paws. "St. Petersburg, Russia; London, England; Austria --  
don't remember the name of the city--"  
"Vienna," Tomoyo supplied with a wry smile.  
"Whatever," Kero brushed aside. "Then to Paris and Notre Dame, France, and now here,  
Nice -- wherever it is." He didn't even look the slightest bit daunted.  
  
"Geography check: Nice is still in France, sponge toy," Syaoran told the intensely smug  
Kero-chan. Kero scowled at him. "Shut up."  
"And Notre Dame is a part of Paris, Kero-chan," Tomoyo added hesitantly, giggling at  
his injured expression.  
  
Sakura quickly intervened to stave off an incoming battle. "Where did Sonomi-san go?"  
she asked, pulling over her best friend's notebook to look at a sketch of Castle Hill that  
she had done.  
  
"She had to go to Monaco for the day," Tomoyo informed her. "Something about business;  
she said she'll be back in time for the party at the hotel this evening."  
Sakura glanced at her watch and gasped. "Oh yeah!" she exclaimed. "And that's in a few  
hours; should we start heading back?"  
  
Tomoyo noticed the way that Li-kun cast her a brief glance before nodding, looking up  
at the sun. "Evening _is_ approaching," he pointed out in agreement, as Kero finished  
off his drink; Tomoyo pushed hers toward him -- she wasn't that thirsty anyway.  
  
"Then we should go," she decided, standing up and gathering her belongings. "The hotel's  
not that far away, we can walk."  
Sakura suddenly pointed down the street, to something that Tomoyo couldn't quite see.  
"Oh wait, I want to go look at something," she quickly mentioned, turning to them. "The  
Church of St. John is down that way, isn't it? Sonomi-san recommended that I see it.  
Can I catch up with you guys later?"   
  
Syaoran shrugged. "Sure, go ahead," he agreed. Sakura handed Kero over to Tomoyo.  
"Make sure Syaoran doesn't murder him," she whispered to her best friend. Tomoyo  
nodded, still noting on the fact that Sakura was staying behind, when it had been she  
who had mentioned how late it was getting. Sakura waved and took off; Tomoyo took  
Syaoran's arm and they left the cafe.  
  
People once again turn heads and noticed as the stunning violet haired woman strolled  
past yet again, this time on the arm of a young man who was quite handsome as well.  
Perhaps there would have been a touch more disappointment in the air, had most of  
them not seen that same young man along the walk with a charming, jade eyed lady.  
  
Once again, Tomoyo paid the observers no mind; knowing people, they would just make  
up their own assumptions anyway, which would no doubt be ridiculous -- Li-kun was  
just as close to her as Sakura-chan was, like a favourite brother, and one of the world's  
greatest people, because he had kept his promise to her to always keep her Sakura-chan   
safe and happy. As well as always being there for her whenever she had any problem.  
Not once in the past decade had Syaoran ever given her a reason to regret her decision   
to give Sakura up to him. Those two were so in love, it was impossible to be jealous.   
Tomoyo spent half her nights dreaming in a secret chamber of her heart that she would   
one day have a love just as strong as theirs. Or more accurately, she'd wish she'd have   
such a strong love with a very certain somebody.  
  
Of course, when she was completely awake and back in her rational state of mind, she  
would sweep off those thoughts and deny everything. They were ridiculous, dreamer-like,  
and would only hurt her more.  
  
Like now, Tomoyo quickly dismissed the whole thing from her mind and brought it back  
to reality, marveling at her mother's efforts with this whole idea. "It was very sweet of  
Mother to go through all this, just for my birthday," she mentioned idly as they turned   
down the boulevard to the Alexandra Hotel. "Even though she was so busy. It was  
artful for her to turn this into both a pleasure trip for all of us, and yet a business trip  
of sorts for her. So many surprises..first the idea of touring Europe, then finding out  
that you three were coming along too.."  
  
Syaoran looked at her. "Why wouldn't she do this?" he asked. "You're supposed to have  
fun on your birthday, right?"  
Tomoyo nodded enthusiastically. "And I am, the entire thing is wonderful, although it's  
a shame that we couldn't go to Italy. It just makes me wonder what else Mother's got  
up her sleeve?"  
  
Kero poked his head up from her cream coloured purse, his smile strangely secretive. "Oh,  
I'm sure Daidouji-san's got a lot more surprises in mind," he muttered.  
Tomoyo raised an eyebrow inquisitively, but sensing that she wasn't supposed to know  
about it, she wisely decided to keep quiet. It was probably some kind of birthday   
surprise, and she wouldn't want to spoil everyone's fun by finding out early.  
  
But she just wondered what it was.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In the late afternoon, the Promenade de Anglais continued to bustle with tourists as   
the evening approached. Just moments after the departure of the beautiful amethyst-  
eyed woman, there was another arrival to the Promenade that once again turned heads  
as he sauntered coolly down the walk, his gaze partly mesmerized by glimmer of the  
Mediterranean sea which matched his own eyes to an extent -- the bedazzling sapphire  
stare flecked with hints of gray and violet much like the Mediterranean would appear at  
night. It was unfortunate that they were sometimes blocked by the locks of midnight  
blue that fell into them, although it just added to his effect, poise and the aura of   
enticing mystery and aloofness about him.  
  
He, too, seemed oblivous to the intensely admiring and hopeful stares he was getting, as  
if he recieved them all the time. The young man brushed it all aside with an easy elegance  
that made many hearts flutter, his eyes only looking around at the sights around him,  
although the steady looks he was now giving the sea did sometimes falter as he cast  
a glance now and then at a cinnamon haired young woman in pink.  
  
She didn't realize he was there at first, for she really _had_ gone to the Church of St.  
John to take a quick looksee. When she came back to the Promenade, Sakura sat down  
at the same table she had been at before, for all of three seconds before a smile lit her  
face and she stood up again, making her way over to the tall, dark haired man.   
  
"About time you got here," she murmured, and when he turned around, she flung her  
arms around his neck in friendly joy, forgetting all about their past. It had been mended  
a long time ago, anyway. "Great to see you again, Eriol-kun!" she greeted cheerfully.  
  
The navy haired man smiled down at her, hugging her briefly before pulling back to take  
a look at her. "Likewise, Sakura-san," he replied. "I was wondering when you would  
recognize my aura and realize I was here."  
  
"You mean you were here before?" Sakura giggled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Eriol-kun. I  
had to go to the St. John church for real, so that Tomoyo-chan wouldn't get suspicious."  
He grinned back at her. "Then don't apologize," he waved off. "So anyway, how is she  
doing?" he asked casually -- as casually as possible.  
  
Sakura blinked at him, then instantly realized who it was he was referring to, and gave  
a smile, a serious but soft one. "You really _do_ love her incredibly, don't you?" she  
asked. "It's wonderful!"  
  
Eriol nodded without missing a beat. "I do. Very deeply, because I loved her from the  
moment I knew her, and even after so long, I never found it wavering at all, so..it's  
different."  
  
"Like my situation with Syaoran," Sakura said happily. "Eriol-kun, don't worry at all.   
Tomoyo-chan says it with everything but her mouth -- she loves you just as much."  
  
Eriol smiled, glancing away for a brief moment. It was a tender smile, rather touching to  
see on Eriol-kun's face, thought Sakura. "Tomoyo-san can be stubborn that way," he  
murmured, remembering.  
  
"She hasn't changed," Sakura told him brightly. "But be careful...I'd better warn you now,  
she started to lose hope of you coming back a while ago, and she's been saying for the  
past little while that she's stopped believing altogether..." Her bright smile returned at  
Eriol's slightly remorseful look. "But hey, you're proving her wrong...for once, Tomoyo-  
chan's gonna be wrong!"  
  
Eriol chuckled, and Sakura pressed on. "Eriol-kun...I hope you don't think me  
rude, but I am very curious. Just to make sure -- how did you fall in love with her? Why?"  
  
Eriol blinked at her, then looked away over the Mediterranean thoughtfully. "I think that's  
the one question that I never completely found the answer to," he said quietly. "But I   
think...I think there was something there in her, even though I didn't really know _what_   
it was. It was just something..that made her my match and equal in every way and so   
much more," he continued. "But even with all that, she still saw something in  
me that I didn't even know, or think ever could exist in me..but she somehow brought it   
out..and I'd say I'm a much better person because of her."  
  
Sakura smiled encouragingly. "I'd say so too," she agreed. "You're not evil anymore!"  
Eriol smiled faintly again. "You know, she's part of the reason that I stopped attacking   
you."  
  
"You mean besides the fact that I'd already transformed all the cards?" Sakura demanded  
dryly.  
  
"I was going to continue, just to make sure you really _could_ use them," Eriol told her  
with another smirk. "But then I knew that if you ever got seriously injured or killed...  
Tomoyo would hate me for life--"  
"--and you couldn't bear to live with that," Sakura finished, her eyes shining as she  
slipped into a brief "hanyaan" mode.   
  
Then she looked at him inquisitively again. "But why didn't you write to her very often?"   
she asked, now sounding fairly annoyed. "You wrote to Syaoran and I a lot, and Akizuki-  
san wrote to Touya-'niichan and Yukito-san all the time, but Tomoyo-chan missed you   
very much, and it hurt her a lot...."  
  
Eriol winced briefly. "That's exactly why I did it -- I just wanted to make sure she knew  
what she was doing. Because I care about her so much...but I think she was still   
confused. And I was the one confusing her, so I had to step back a little so she could   
figure things out on her own."  
  
"You're very wise, Eriol-kun," Sakura praised, eyes wide. "A little cruel, but wise."  
"Maybe because I'm centuries old?" Eriol asked her teasingly. Sakura just stuck out her  
tongue. "You wrote to Sonomi-san sometimes, too," she mentioned.  
  
"Mostly just to apologize for kidnapping Tomoyo," Eriol shrugged. "But isn't it a good  
thing? If we hadn't communicated for this long, then the two of us never would have   
come up with this plan now, would we?"  
  
"It's very sneaky and devious," Sakura commented, then beamed. "And I'm so glad!  
Because it has your imprint all over it...and for once, it's not being played upon me -or-  
Syaoran." She hugged him, and Eriol laughed in amusement. "Enjoy it while you can,"  
he told her.  
  
Sakura took his wrist and began leading him away. "We should go now, Eriol-kun, or we  
might be late -- and besides, people are starting to undress you with their eyes," she  
whispered sarcastically. He just gave her a smirk. "Are they? I hadn't noticed," he   
replied.  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Of course, whatever you say, Eriol-kun," she said as they   
headed back down the walk. "How are Akizuki-san and Spinel, by the way?" she   
wondered.  
  
Eriol smiled. "They're...alright, I suppose. Although Nakuru has been running wild on our  
trip abroad."  
"She's always wild, though," Sakura said.  
"Worse than usual," Eriol responded dryly. "She tried to drag Spinel to the local Jungle  
nightclub when we were in Geneva, Switzerland. It wasn't until he practically amputated  
her wrist with his claws that she decided to go alone. And stayed out until three am, I  
might add." He shook his head as Sakura laughed merrily.   
  
Then she turned large, curious eyes on him. "Are you going to ask her to marry you?" she   
wanted to know.  
  
Eriol, for what had to be the first time --at least in her knowledge-- actually blushed.  
Syaoran would be so proud of her for this! "Sakura-chan!" he admonished, slightly  
flustered. She looked at him with disguising innocence. "What?" she asked. "How many  
times did you ask me and Syaoran that, when he came back from Hong Kong?" She  
waited, then pressed on. "Well? Sonomi-san approves of you, I approve of you, and  
Syaoran.." she trailed off, then giggled. "Well, Syaoran -does- approve of you too, even  
though he'll cut out his tongue before he ever admits it outright."  
  
Eriol crossed his arms and pouted cutely himself, not replying. Sakura giggled again and  
pulled him down the Promenade faster, hardly being able to contain herself and her  
impatience. She couldn't -wait- until Tomoyo's birthday party that night -- her best  
friend had gotten a lot of surprises lately, and there were still even a few more to go...  
  
...but this would be by far the best of all. Hopefully, she would see it that way too.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
On the sixteenth floor of the hotel, Tomoyo released her arm of Syaoran's when they  
got to their seperate suites -- although Sakura would usually share with Syaoran, since  
this was her best friend's birthday, she'd decided to room with her.  
  
"I guess I'll see you in a few hours," Syaoran remarked, rolling his eyes. "Knowing how  
long it'll take -you- to get ready."  
Tomoyo grinned at his teasing and shook her head innocently. "Not me," she said, smiling  
a slightly wicked smile as all innocence was tossed aside. "But I _do_ have this outfit  
that I made Sakura-chan, which would make a fabulous debute at tonight's ball party --  
I'm sure you'd enjoy it, Li-kun."  
  
Syaoran's face took on a faint red hue; she was doing it again, her torment. He swore  
that she made those barely-passable-for-public dresses for Sakura _just_ to see how  
red he could get, even after they were married.   
  
He scowled and dragged her in the direction of her own room while she squealed in   
laughing protest ("Wait, I didn't get 'Li-kun's kawaii blush for Sakura-chan' on tape, or  
even on camera!" to which he replied, "As if it matters, you've already got over a million  
tapes of that."). Just as he left her at the door, however, her expression turned slightly  
wistful with the faintest touch of sadness. "You two are really lucky, you know," she  
murmured. "To have been together for such a long time and still love and react to each  
other the same way you did when you first fell for each other."  
  
He nodded quietly, just looking at her. "I know," he said. Syaoran knew that the best  
thing to do when the otherwise unruffled younger woman got like this was to simply let  
her talk and do her thing, to remain silent until it was necessary to reassure her, and   
always listen.  
  
She turned dark lavender eyes on him, a slightly resigned, yet hopeless look in them.   
He hated seeing that look on her. "But he won't come back, will he?" she asked, with  
a small humourless laugh. "That would be a bit too much to hope for -- like a dream.  
There's no reason for him to come back. He only really knew me for two weeks."   
  
Syaoran winced inwardly, for many different reasons, knowing exactly who she was  
talking about. Hiiragizawa. No matter what happened, even after a few letters now and  
then over the years, Syaoran still didn't like him at all. And personally, he thought that  
Hiiragizawa and Tomoyo together would be such a dangerous combination -- her  
resemblance to him had already gotten far too uncanny for his comfort. But still..he knew  
that Hiiragizawa was the only one who made Tomoyo happy, even if she still refused to  
believe that at certain times, like when he wouldn't write to her for four months. Even  
though when she would finally recieve a letter, she'd be in near blissful spirits for a week.  
  
And then there were times that his letters were the only thing that shone through like  
a ray of sunshine through dark clouds, on days where everything just seemed wrong  
for her. Like Syaoran and Sakura's wedding day...although Syaoran knew that Tomoyo  
would have never allowed herself to feel jealous or bitter on the happiest day of their  
lives, he had still been surprised when he'd not only seen true happiness for them in her  
eyes that day, but also a type of happiness for herself. Of course, he'd found out later  
that she had gotten a letter from Hiiragizawa that day, which was exactly the way he  
must have planned it. So Syaoran had to admit that he wasn't all bad, since he wanted  
nothing more than to preserve Tomoyo's happiness as much as possible. Even if she  
didn't always see that.   
  
That still didn't mean he liked him. After all, he had hurt Sakura.  
  
"Li-kun?" Tomoyo's voice broke him out of the reverie. "I'm right, aren't I? He wouldn't  
come back," she repeated insistently.  
"He gave you that jewel, and told you what would happen if he didn't return."  
Tomoyo looked down at the sapphire which hung around her neck, a blank expression  
on her face. "You know," she mused sadly. "I don't even think that he really -did- put  
his magic in this thing...so what is it about him that stops me from forgetting all about  
him?"  
  
Syaoran thought about this, or rather, thought about the plan that had been set for that  
night. A smile crossed his face, one of his own rare (though becoming more frequent due  
to a certain Card Mistress), genuine ones.  
  
"Maybe because you saw something in him that no one else would have ever thought to  
look for...not even Sakura," he told her quietly. "He'll be back. As much as I hate him, he's   
not one to break a promise as important as that."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tomoyo stared out of the window of the suite which overlooked much of Nice on the  
French Riviera. The view was wonderful, as the horizon began to glow with faint, telltale  
streaks of orange in preparation to the oncoming sunset, the entire procedure reflected  
surreally in the sea. Beautiful...yet she felt so lonely. Of course, it was because of -him-,  
and she knew it...and she missed him dreadfully, but..  
  
Was there something wrong with her? _Why_ couldn't she just admit it to herself? Even  
Sakura-chan hadn't taken this long -- eight years! Eight years that he hadn't been  
present. She had begun losing hope a while ago...if he had indeed put his magic into  
that necklace he had given her on the night before he left, he was certainly cutting it  
a bit close on the ten-year pact.  
  
Miss him. But love him?  
Her heart said yes. Her mind said no.  
Such a wonderfully clear situation, Tomoyo thought sarcastically.  
  
Why can't I let him go? she wondered. What Syaoran said rang through her mind one  
last time, and she had to smile softly in remembrance. Yes, that was true -- where   
everyone had seen the cool, manipulative reincarnation of Clow Reed, she had seen the  
very special person under that exterior, she had seen the warm sapphire gaze where  
everyone else had seen carefully masked icy blue...and she liked to think that she had  
touched that person underneath, at least once..  
  
Catching herself, she rolled her eyes in self-reproach. So back to the question -- did  
she love him or not?  
  
It was about an hour later when the sun started to set -- she had to turn away from  
the display, because the sun was still bright.  
  
She had to start getting ready for tonight. Tonight was the actual party for her birthday,  
and it was special -- even if it was partly a business party as well, and many people  
there would be associates from her mother's firms from all across the Eastern Hemisphere.  
Very formal dress of course; her mother's parties were always like that. Tomoyo took  
off her day dress, folding it neatly, and then went over to the closet. The room's door  
suddenly burst open.  
  
Tomoyo peeked around the wardrobe door at her best friend, who had just bounced  
into the room. "Tomoyo-chan, where are you?"  
"Here, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo stepped out from behind the door, still sifting through  
garments in the wardrobe and the closet.  
  
Sakura came over to her, eyes alight in excitement. "Tomoyo-chan, tonight is going  
to be fantastic!" she near-squealed. "You're twenty! You're actually in your twenties,  
not a 'teen' anymore! I'm so jealous!" Sakura was only nineteen.   
  
Tomoyo giggled lightly as her friend bounded over to the closet. "Tomoyo-chan, wait!  
We've got the perfect outfit for you." After a moment, Sakura emerged, carrying a  
cloud of creamy satin and silk, embroidered artfully with pearls. She handed it over to  
Tomoyo with pride, and the dark haired girl took it, staring at it in surprise. "Sakura-chan,  
what..."  
  
"Another birthday present," Sakura told her casually. "Sonomi-san and I decided on it  
for you in Vienna, for the party."  
"Really, Sakura-chan--" Tomoyo began, but Sakura just frowned stubbornly. "You made  
me a dress, Tomoyo-chan, so it's only fair that I get to dress you up this time."  
  
Tomoyo sighed with a smile and a shake of her head, and then the two ladies proceeded  
to get the dress onto Tomoyo.  
It was incredibly lovely, accenting her pale shoulders, arms and skin tone fabulously and  
the deep, black-violet of her hair against the white material created a wonderful effect.  
  
"You're beautiful, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said in admiring awe, quickly putting something  
around her wrist. It was an amethyst-jeweled bracelet, and on anyone else would have  
clashed horribly with what she was wearing -- but the colour matched Tomoyo's eyes  
and therefore made ends meet very satisfactorily. Sakura stepped back. "There, you're  
perfect!" she breathed. "Cream is a very nice colour on you too."   
  
Tomoyo fingered the sapphire necklace she had been wearing around her neck every  
second for eight years. The one he had given her. She never took it off, never. Although  
sometimes, she didn't even know -why- she kept it. Those were the times when she  
decided to face reality. It only hurt her to see that sapphire at those times.  
  
Looking down at the sparkling blue stone for a moment with a small, reminiscent smile,  
she turned her eyes back up to the jade eyed girl. "I suppose I should tuck this under,  
right?" she mused, already carefully hiding the sapphire under her dress's neckline.  
  
Sakura beamed. "It -did- clash a bit with your effect..but it's okay." Then she went   
behind the other woman, grabbing a brush and comb from the dresser, and began to style  
Tomoyo's hair the way Tomoyo had once taught her to. She deliberately took her time,  
glancing at the clock nonchalantly; technically, the party had already started, but  
her job was to bring Tomoyo down late, so that a certain someone would have time  
to remain inconspicuous.  
  
When she was done, her best friend's hair was done up stylishly in a crown of violet  
coils, held back with a few pearl studded pins. Sakura jumped back, her emerald eyes  
bright. "_Now_ you're perfect! You're the belle of the ball, without question, just like  
you should be!"   
  
Tomoyo rolled her eyes to the ceiling, though she had to admit that Sakura had done  
a remarkable job. But still...this was supposed to be _her_ role. With that in mind, she  
turned to Sakura, her own eyes lighting up. "Then now it's your turn, Sakura-chan," she  
told her, taking both of her hands and guiding her efficiently over to the closet.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Sakura was dressed in a spring green and pink concoction made   
from Tomoyo's hand. Her hair was curled and twisted up into two buns on the sides of  
her head -- two pigtails, technically, but the way Tomoyo did it made it seem as un-  
childish as possible. Tomoyo thought she looked simply darling.   
  
Just as Sakura was fighting against Tomoyo about the idea of letting her put cherry  
blossoms up in her hair, ("But you would look _sooooo_ kawaii in it, and I bet Li-kun would  
still drool, even after two years!") a yellowish streak darted in through the window,   
startling Sakura momentarily until they realized it was Kero-chan.  
  
"Kero-chan!" Sakura scolded as Tomoyo shook her head reproachfully. "How many times  
do we have to warn you--"  
"--even after you've already witnessed the consequences," Tomoyo finished for her;  
it was true. That was how Daidouji Sonomi had found out about the entire Clow Card  
saga, when Kero had flown into the room unexpectedly. Her mother had taken it so much  
better than Tomoyo had ever thought she would, thankfully.  
  
"I was careful," he told both women carelessly. "No one was close enough to see what  
I was, anyway."  
Sakura gave a long suffering sigh, and Kero frowned. "Hey, I only came in here to tell  
you two that Daidouji-sama requests your presence in the Alexandra Hotel Ballroom now,"  
he said defensively. "If I'm gonna get bashed for relaying orders--"  
  
Tomoyo giggled and tapped her finger against his cheek. "You know we didn't mean   
anything by it, Kero-chan," she told him. "You can head back now, just make sure no  
one sees you. And tell Mother we'll be right down."  
  
Giving a two-fingered salute, Kero took off out the window again; using absolute no  
caution, by the way.  
  
Sakura shook her head, deciding not to let it get to her, and after a final glance in the  
mirror, she started bounding toward the door, but stopped abruptly, remembering that  
she was wearing a long dress, and she was no where near as graceful as Tomoyo-chan  
was. Speaking of which...  
  
"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura enquired, looking over her shoulder and wondering why her best  
friend wasn't behind her.  
Tomoyo had been glancing out the suite window, watching the brilliant display of splash  
colours that was the sunset. She looked up with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Sakura-chan.  
I'm right behind you," she reassured her best friend, sailing out the doorway.  
  
Sakura watched her best friend for a moment behind her, before she shook her head  
ruefully, with a secretive smile. "Tomoyo-chan...if you only knew," she sighed, then  
ran off after her best friend  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hiiragizawa."  
  
Eriol turned with a happy smirk at the familiar, cold tone that the name was spoken in.  
"Why, cute little descendant!" he exclaimed joyfully. "What a pleasant surprise. It's so  
good to see you."  
  
"Excuse me if the feeling's not mutual," Syaoran muttered, still glaring nonstop at him.  
Eriol had to laugh at that. "Yes, I'm doing fine too, thanks for asking," he continued in  
a conversational tone.  
  
Syaoran rolled his eyes to the ceiling and gave up; Hiiragizawa was too weird. But then  
he became serious, glaring at the other young man with dark cocoa eyes that showed  
he wasn't messing around, threatening to burn a hole through his head. "You do know   
why you're here, don't you?"  
  
Eriol blinked. "I should certainly hope so, since it was mine and Daidouji-sama's idea,"  
he pointed out, becoming slightly cautious with the little wolf's tone.  
  
Syaoran glanced toward the ballroom doors; Eriol could feel just as well as he could that  
Sakura had just stepped out of her hotel suite -- meaning Tomoyo was with her. They'd  
be coming soon. A faint trill of...something, ran through Eriol, he couldn't quite tell what  
it was. All he knew was that, after all the long years...Tomoyo-san..  
  
Syaoran turned a glare back to his arch-nemesis. "She started to lose faith in you. She's   
Sakura's best friend, and my best friend too," he said, a warning in his steely tone. "You   
hurt her anymore, and I'll kill you myself."  
  
Eriol stared at him in mild surprise. "_Really_, descendant," he admonished.  
"I'm serious," Syaoran told him coldly.  
"And so am I," Eriol replied just as levelly, all sarcasm or teasing gone from his voice.  
"I know I've hurt her already, and I'm still hating myself for it...but never again, and if  
anything else is going to try it, they'll have to go through me. And I'm not willing to go  
through myself again."  
  
Syaoran stared at him a moment, before glancing away, a smile --or smirk, one of the  
two-- crossing his face. "I know," he said quietly. As Eriol just watched him calmly, he  
glared at him again; Eriol almost laughed, thinking how he was more familiar with Xiao  
Lang giving him a glare than a smile. Unnerving.  
  
"The warning still stands," Syaoran told him firmly.  
Eriol smiled. "Of course," he said smoothly. "I'll keep it in mind."  
  
Mihara Chiharu came running up to the two young men, giving them each a quick,  
friendly hug. "Hiiragizawa-san, it's so great to see you," she greeted with a smile, then   
turned to Syaoran. "Li-san, Tomoyo-chan doesn't know that we're all here yet, right?"  
she asked quickly. "Because Daidouji-sama says that she's coming, so--"  
  
Syaoran nodded, glancing over at the "home group" gathered at the side of the ballroom  
closest to the door, with another little smile. Takashi Yamazaki. Terada Rika.   
Terada-sensei. Yanagisawa Naoko. And finally Tsukishiro Yukito, Kinomoto Touya (who  
was glaring heatedly at Syaoran and Eriol alternately, when something else wasn't keeping  
him occupied), and Kinomoto Fujitaka.  
  
And of course, two very important additions to the group: Spinel Sun, carefully hidden  
in the chestnut tresses of the girl who held Touya's attention --his full attention was  
needed to get her off his back and escape from the gleeful death grip she held him in--  
Akizuki Nakuru. All of them smiling mischeviously, waiting for the double doors to open  
and reveal the young hostess.  
  
"She doesn't know you're here yet," Syaoran told Chiharu. "And she's not supposed to  
know that Hiiragizawa is here until a little later on."  
"Oooh," Chiharu nodded in understanding. "I'll get the others ready then, 'cause she's  
not supposed to see us right away, correct?" The peach haired girl turned to go, but  
then glanced back over her shoulder to give Eriol a quick wink. "Good luck, Hiiragizawa-  
san," she wished him.  
  
Eriol sighed, as Syaoran smirked at him. Then Nakuru came bouncing over, taking Eriol's  
arm urgently. "Hi Li-kun," she trilled at the chocolate haired man. Ignoring Syaoran's  
ever-suspicious look, she turned back to her master. "Eriol-sama, we have to hide.   
Tomoyo-chan's not supposed to know we're here just yet."  
  
"We'll go stay in the back room for a while," Eriol told his descendant, already being  
led away by his guardian. Just moments after they reached their destination, the   
ballroom doors swung open.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Entering the ballroom, Tomoyo remained unruffled as heads turned appreciatively again.  
"Oooh, you're getting so much attention, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura informed her with a  
grin, pulling her over to her mother. "I told you you were beautiful!"  
"Thank you, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo replied simply.  
  
Sonomi was talking to a business partner when her daughter approached her. Politely  
introducing Tomoyo and Sakura to him, one of the company spokesmen, and then   
excusing herself, she kissed the violet haired girl on the cheek with happiness. "Tomoyo-  
chan, finally! Happy birthday, darling."  
  
Tomoyo glanced around the large ballroom, decorated with soft lights and candles,  
simple designs and beautiful paintings on the wall, and the large open windows which  
let in the night air from the Mediterranean. As well as a yellow, plush toy lying oh so  
casually right next to the dinner platters on the table.  
  
She turned back to her mother, eyes shining. "Mother, this really is a lot...you didn't have  
to, really--"  
  
Her mother scoffed, brushing aside the comment warmly. "Please, Tomoyo-chan. This is   
your twentieth birthday, have fun!" She took the young woman's hand and began leading  
her through the throngs of people, Sakura right behind them. "There are some other  
people would like to see you, and they really wanted to wish you a happy birthday too."  
  
Tomoyo sighed inwardly again; most likely, "they" were more firm partners, perhaps even  
suitors. But it was her birthday, and technically her party, though she hadn't planned  
it -- so she had to be polite.  
  
Although naturally, there was nothing polite about the way Tomoyo, after pushing past  
a few clots of people, suddenly froze in her tracks and stared at the group of people  
gathered just in front of her, smiling warmly. Sonomi let go of her daughter's hand,  
relishing with satisfaction the look of utter shock on her face.  
  
"Happy birthday, Tomoyo-san." Fujitaka was the first to speak up. Tomoyo's face  
brightened considerably, and rushing at them with squeals of delight, she hugged  
each and every one of them, cries of "I can't believe this! I can't believe you're actually  
here! It's so wonderful to see you!" escaping from her. She really had missed many of  
them, though it had only been a few months since she'd last seen them all. This was  
incredible..  
  
It didn't even seem to matter that the person who counted most wasn't there, she was  
just in complete shock. She whirled to face her mother. "Mother, how on earth  
did you manage to plan all this?" she asked incredulously. "It's so much--"  
  
"You deserve it, Tomoyo-chan," Rika told her with another hug. "Besides, you're twenty  
today!" She pulled back to look at the birthday girl. "You're so beautiful.." she sighed  
blissfully. "And I'm sure he'll notice too." After a hard poke from Chiharu, Rika froze  
slightly, realizing her tiny slip. Tomoyo was watching her curiously. "Who'll notice?" she  
enquired.  
  
"All your suitors," Naoko pulled off smoothly. "As if you don't have enough problems with  
them, am I right?"  
Tomoyo sighed and nodded in agreement.  
  
Reunions kept on for a while, and then Tomoyo felt a prod on her arm; Sakura-chan  
gesturing for her to follow. Tomoyo tailed her best friend through the crowds again in  
piqued curiousity, before letting out a loose giggle, realizing what had commanded her  
friend's attention so abruptly. "Kero-chan," she said in a mildly reproachful tone, the  
two women staring down at the diminuitive Guardian Beast now consuming large amounts  
of food, and somehow still managing to be discreet about it.  
  
"You know you're supposed to wait 'til supper," Sakura scolded him again. Kero sat up  
and looked imploringly at them. "How can I?" he protested. "Look at all the stuff they  
have here -- I've never even seen half of it, but it tastes _so_ good--" He stuck his  
paw in some type of mousse, and then licked it off. "See? Like this."  
  
Tomoyo studied the dessert item. "That's Ricotta mousse, Kero-chan," she informed the  
stuffed animal. "Mostly Italian though...amazing, Mother thought of everything." She  
let her gaze drift over the meal arranged on the table in the form of a buffet -- her  
favourite kind of meal. Mixed culture. Cheese, baguettes, pates, duck, escargots,   
lobsters, and cheese soufflees from France, shrimp cocktails, shellfish, swordfish and  
rice salad from the Mediterranean, and then stuffed avocados, scallops and lasagne  
from Italy -- along with an assortment of desserts that seemed to have been pulled  
out of Kero's best dreams. Sakura shook her head as she watched her sun guardian  
flit from the white chocolate sauce to the apricot and pomegranate tarts, to the  
orange sherbets and vanilla souflees...Tomoyo met her eyes and sighed yet again.   
  
"Maybe we should wait this one out," she suggested. "For sure, he'll get full on most of  
this stuff eventually."  
Sakura nodded. "Kero," she told him. "Make sure you don't eat too much, though -- you'll  
never be able to explain to people where the food just disappeared off to."  
  
If Kero heard her, he gave no real acknowledgement except a twitch of his tail.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The music started up, just as Tomoyo knew it would; it would always go dancing, dinner,  
more dancing, dessert, etcetera, etcetera.  
  
Sakura was soon swept away by Syaoran; Tomoyo pulled out her video camera to record,  
although then found to her surprise that she really didn't feel like it. She actually didn't  
want to tape Sakura-chan...what was -wrong- with her? Tomoyo put the camcorder  
away, musing over a few things. Her friends had all been acting so strange that evening,   
although she was sure that she was the only one who'd picked up on the fact.  
  
  
~I believe in hope  
I believe in dreams~  
  
  
The dancing had started, ballroom dancing. Tomoyo cast a small smile toward the sight  
of Sakura-chan sweeping around the dance floor with her husband, already in their own  
world. Their marriage was so romantic, it had even charmed the entire Li clan. Kawaii...  
  
Over on the other side of the room, Tomoyo could see Yamazaki and Chiharu getting  
into the elegant dancing as well; they made a somewhat funny sight, considering that  
Yamazaki had never actually danced before...but it was still adorable, seeing as how  
Chiharu didn't seem to care at all. The two had been engaged for the past three years..  
still hadn't gotten married though..  
  
  
~After all these years  
These sweet and bitter tears  
Do you believe in me?~  
  
  
Pity...this was one of her favourite songs, but she had turned down every offer to   
dance, although she was very good at it. Most of the people who'd asked were just  
sons of partners from Mother's firm anyway. And besides, this song shouldn't be one of  
her favourites, since it usually caused her pain every time she heard it.  
  
It was too reminiscent of him...  
  
  
~I believe in time  
And I believe in trust~  
  
  
That was it. Tomoyo wandered slightly away from the corner, slipping through the  
curtains at the edge of the ballroom, where there was a type of secluded nook, just  
for anyone who wanted peace and quiet...and beauty. The rest area actually opened  
up into a balcony that overlooked another part of the Riviera..it was open, and the  
Mediterranean breeze was coming in up from the sea. The sun had long since set...  
leaning slightly against the window, Tomoyo had to marvel at the sight; yes, though  
she agreed with Sakura-chan that the Riviera was beautiful in the sunset, it was even  
prettier at dusk, in her opinion.  
  
  
~So darling don't let go  
'Cause really, all I know  
Is I believe in us~  
  
  
The music was still coming in through the thick scarlet curtains. Tomoyo frowned briefly;  
at least she was cut off from all the annoying suitors back here. Problem was, she was  
also cut off from her friends, and seeing them dance...seeing how happy they were   
together. So she had been living in the happiness of her closest friends...that wasn't a  
crime, was it? She had done it once before, and she was okay doing so again.  
  
  
~All the things you are to me  
Are all the things that love should be  
And I bless the day you came to me~  
  
  
Tomoyo rubbed her temples; she was starting to get a headache. Perhaps I can ask   
Mother if I could go back to the room, she mused, but then shook her head. No, it   
would disappoint her mother terribly if she missed half of her own birthday party.  
Especially after all the obvious work that had gone into it.  
  
But this song...she really SHOULD hate it...yet it always got to her this way, and for  
some reason, she still wanted to hear it now, even though she was sure that it was  
the cause of her headache.  
  
Sighing, she sat down on one of the vinyl padded benches in front of the open balcony  
and simply waited, hoping that no one would get worried.  
  
  
~I know sometimes we lose our way  
And say things we don't mean to say  
You hold my heart within your hands~  
  
  
Or DON'T say things we mean to say, Tomoyo corrected absently, before shaking her  
head in frustration. Great, all she needed now was for the guilt to come back to her.  
And she always hated it -- why should she feel guilty for anything? That was most  
puzzling. Although sometimes, she really did have to think about it.  
  
Why hadn't she at least told him how she felt about him before he left? Why COULDN'T  
she? That was what usually plagued her mind late at night. He had told her what he  
felt for her, hadn't he? Even though he had been young, and it had been many years  
ago, and it was just an empty promise now..still..  
  
Maybe...maybe if she'd said something, he wouldn't have gone away...  
  
But she had been so confused, the feelings had sprung up so suddenly and crashsed   
with how she felt about Sakura-chan...not long after he'd left, however, she had   
realized that Sakura, though she still held a special place in her heart, was not the one  
for her anymore.  
  
Yet the one who was didn't know that he was, she was sure...  
And she doubted that he would care anymore.  
  
  
~And I believe that life  
Is full of twists and turns~  
  
  
And she suspected that was part of the reason he'd left, to let her sort things out for  
herself. And why he wrote so seldomly to her...  
  
He's not coming back, said her rational mind again. She just had to accept that, no   
matter how long it took. She would be okay again...someday..  
  
Tomoyo sighed, fingering her necklace yet again..however, in the darkness of the   
twilight, she couldn't quite see the colour of it.  
  
But that's silly -- you know that the colour will be sapphire, she chided herself. It was  
a little strange though..the jewel usually blended with the deep blue darkness of the  
night, but this time it seemed to somehow stand out, almost shining a faint different  
colour.  
  
  
~And all this pain  
Is just like summer rain  
It's the only way we'll learn~  
  
  
She shrugged it off; maybe it was just dirty tonight. She'd have to polish it immediately.  
Peeking around the corner, all the while being careful that she remained out of sight, she  
watched the dancing couples with a happy sigh. It was all very kawaii..but where  
had her friends gone? The only ones she could see on the dance floor that she recognized  
were...Mother and Fujitaka-sensei?!  
  
Tomoyo blinked, and rubbed her eyes...but they were still there. She smirked; well of  
all the--  
  
  
~And I believe that faith  
Will lead us back to love  
So darling don't let go  
'Cause really all I know  
Is I believe in us~   
  
  
"Excuse me, Mademoiselle, would you care to dance?" The voice which had popped the  
question had a silky quality, a faint hint of teasing, and a sort of worldly air about  
it.  
  
Tomoyo sighed in frustration, turning to the window without looking at the person. How  
had she been found out? She was sure no one had seen her come in here..although  
she couldn't always be sure.  
  
"I'm sorry, I must decline," she replied, politely contrite. "I don't care to dance much."  
  
  
~Heaven knows  
Where the reckless angels go~   
  
  
"Really, it's such a beautiful song," said the mystery person, persisting. Tomoyo hated  
it when men did this -- some of them just didn't understand something about the word  
'No'.  
  
Strange...this voice sounded a bit familiar though.  
  
She didn't pay attention though. "Really? I hadn't noticed," she answered a bit sarcast-  
ically. "And I haven't danced in a long time," she added, staring out over the region  
again; at least that was the truth. She didn't dance anymore, outside of her continuing  
lessons..not since he'd left.  
  
  
~We fall so long  
That's what Easter worms are for  
Holding close forever more~  
  
  
"That's a pity," said the man, from behind her. "Such a pretty girl who doesn't dance?"  
  
There was definetly teasing in his voice, and Tomoyo's eyes narrowed slightly; this  
was really getting to her. Although she wasn't sure if it was because of annoyance..  
or the eerie familiarity of this voice. And such an easy French accent, although it was  
obviously not French..  
  
She heard a rustling from the curtains; just what she needed, more annoying courters.  
Tomoyo rolled her eyes and sighed in aggravation. "I don't dance," she responded, a  
frosty edge now slipping in.  
  
  
~Do you believe in fate  
'Cause the best is yet to come~  
  
  
She suddenly hear a sniggering sound from the curtains, one she recognized to be...no,  
that wasn't possible.  
  
Frowning, she wondered why on earth her friends were all gathered around her and this  
annoying man...maybe because it was HER party. That was it; they were probably   
looking for her.  
  
"Tomoyo-san...I believe I did once tell you that it would be futile to say that to me."  
Now this was laced with great amusement. And Tomoyo didn't know how she could have  
missed it before.  
  
  
~And we have come too far  
To let it fall apart  
So please don't give up~  
  
  
It was only in that moment that the beam from the lighthouse just up the coast shone  
through the window, reflecting off of her necklace...and allowing her to see what colour  
it was. The sapphire was gone; in its place was a glittering amethyst.  
  
Kero's voice came from the corner. "Tomoyo-chan...maybe you should actually turn  
around," he suggested, sounding as if he were fighting to hold back laughter.  
  
The first thing she noticed when she did what he requested was that Sakura-chan, Li-  
kun, Kero-chan, Touya-san, and Tsukishiro-san were all crowded near the edge of the  
small closing with huge, mischevious grins on their faces. And with them was...Nakuru-  
san...Spinel-san, with identical triumphant and mischevious smiles.  
  
And that could only mean...  
  
  
~Well darling don't let go  
'Cause really all I know  
Is I believe in us~  
  
  
Tomoyo's eyes were now as huge and round as serving platters, her mouth dropping  
open in pure shock as her gaze traveled upward to the person directly behind her -- or  
in front of her now..  
  
She gasped; it came like more of a strangled choke.  
  
Hiiragizawa Eriol was smirking in immense amusement as he stared directly at her with  
those sapphire midnight eyes that she hadn't stopped seeing in her dreams for eight  
years...eyes so full of love..  
  
And Tomoyo was slightly terrified.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakura ushered the rest of the group out of the secret nook so that they wouldn't  
intrude on any private moments. Because she knew that after all these years..there  
would be a lot of extremely private emotions. Although it WAS a pity...Tomoyo  
almost never seemed to have many morals on spying on her own private moments   
with Syaoran..she'd have to remember that.  
  
"Isn't it the sweetest, most adorable, kawaii, romantic thing you have ever seen in  
your whole entire existence?" Nakuru was gushing, skipping and twirling in tight circles  
as they made their way back through the ballroom around all the still dancing couples  
-- Yamazaki and Chiharu were back on the dance floor. The song had changed again.  
  
"So you've said -- for the sixtieth time," Touya remarked dryly in response to Nakuru's  
earlier statement. "Honestly, are you sure that you're twenty-six now?"  
"Her maturity level leaves much to be desired," Spinel muttered.  
"Spinel-san, really," Yukito scolded, though he secretly agreed.  
  
Nakuru stuck out her tongue at all of them, then glomped Touya...again. "Of course!" she   
told them. "Ever since our mission with Sakura-san finished, we've started to age finally."  
  
Sakura was aware of these details -- there was a reason that this whole group was  
so close now, even though they had practically all been enemies when the dark trio had  
left. Over nearly the past decade, they had exchanged many letters to each other --  
that was due to Nakuru's insistence that they should never forget each other. She had  
even gotten Eriol and Spinel into it...although Sakura always felt guilty knowing that  
while she got a letter from Eriol-kun about once a week, Tomoyo-chan only recieved  
one from him about every four months. But it had still kept them close...Eriol-kun and  
his guardians had actually known about her engagement to Syaoran before Tomoyo had.  
  
"And it IS the most kawaii thing!" Nakuru continued, insistently, then paused. "Other  
than Sakura-chan's and Li-kun's marriage of course," she added with a cheerful smile.  
  
Touya could be heard giving an almost inconspicous growl in his throat; he and Syaoran  
started glaring daggers at each other. Sakura sighed; this time, however, she wasn't  
going to step in. At least she had the reassurance that they would never hurt each  
other, because they knew it would upset her.  
  
"Master is so happy now! Don't they go so fabulously together?" Nakuru sighed blissfully.  
"Just like--"  
  
"Cake and turpentine," Syaoran grumbled.  
"Syaoran!" Sakura chatised him. "They ARE absolutely beautiful together. Like peanut  
butter and jelly."  
  
"Like paper and a pen," Spinel agreed.  
"Pomegranate tarts and orange mousse," Kero seconded, obviously still thinking of the  
lovely meal he'd just had. "And oysters! Speaking of which, Suppi, you really SHOULD try   
some of that stuff." An evil glint entered his eyes.  
Spinel gagged at the combination Kero had brought up. "What a positively disgusting  
idea," he said disdainfully.  
  
"Like lace and silk," Nakuru put in, ignoring the two sun guardians.  
Touya didn't bother to say anything; he approved of this couple about as much as   
Syaoran did. Or had before, at least.  
  
Nakuru shook her head. "No, even more accurately, they're like Beauty--"  
"--and the Beast," Spinel finished for her with a satisfied smile, after knocking Kero away  
from him with a small energy beam. There were very few things that he agreed with  
Nakuru on, but this was certainly one of them.  
  
"Hanyaan!" sighed Sakura happily.  
Syaoran choked, and his wife glared at him. "They are!" she insisted.  
  
"I still don't understand how they could fall in love in such a short time period, especially  
with everything he put her through," Touya muttered darkly. "And how after only two  
weeks together, they spend eight years waiting to see the other again -- does any of  
this add up?!" he finally demanded in frustration.  
  
"It makes perfect sense," Nakuru retorted. "That's why it's like Beauty and the Beast..  
the ever-constant lessons of 'love waits for no one' and 'love has no boundaries'." She  
paused and glanced at Touya with a smile. "Right?"  
Touya only looked at her for a moment. "No comment."  
  
"And I think it's wonderful that Tomoyo-chan has found someone who'll make her so  
happy, after such a long time," Sakura put in. "She deserves true happiness more than  
anyone else I know." Her voice went quiet. "Now if only she'll let herself have it.."  
  
"He's still evil," protested Syaoran, although he couldn't really argue with the rest of  
Sakura's logic -- yes, he didn't know anyone else who deserved happiness more than  
Tomoyo.   
  
But they all stood in silent for a moment, thinking about their purple eyed friend,  
and whether she would actually take her chance for happiness...especially since the  
one person who could give it to her was the one who was the cause of her sadness all  
these years.  
  
But they also knew just as well that Eriol would never give up on her, not even if it took  
his whole lifetime.   
  
Syaoran broke the silence, and the heavy mood "They'll be very scary together," he   
warned; Tomoyo already had her own evil streak without Eriol to add fuel to the  
flames. He shuddered at the concept.  
  
"What goes on between them is none of our business," Sakura said primly.  
"Until they make it our business," Syaoran hinted darkly. Sakura sweatdropped; of course,  
he still hadn't forgiven Eriol for what happened all those years ago, but..  
  
"Admit it, Syaoran. Tomoyo-chan deserves happiness...and Eriol's the one who gives  
her that happiness."  
Syaoran glared at the floor; it was true. Damn. But there was no way of mistaking   
Tomoyo's look of joy when she realized she had been talking to Eriol, as anything else.  
  
Didn't mean he had to like it, though.   
  
They didn't have any time to say anything else, because then Sonomi ran up to them,  
barely sparing the two talking stuffed animal a glance; she knew about them already.  
"So did it work? How are they?"  
  
Sakura smiled brightly. "The plan was pulled off perfectly. And I think both of them are  
going to be just fine from now on."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The party was still continuing a few hours later, although Tomoyo wasn't taking much  
part in it, despite the fact that it was being held in her honour. She was now seated  
in the lounge just outside the ballroom, deep in thought. She wasn't hiding from   
anyone...  
  
No, of course not.  
She was just casually avoiding Eriol-san, that was all.  
  
A shout came from just down the hallway, and Tomoyo made a dry face -- Touya-san.  
Tsukishiro-san. Nakuru-san. Enough said. It was a good thing that the hotel had sealed  
this area off just for the night's party.   
  
She gave a tiny start when a small, dark stuffed cat suddenly flew into her lap, and then  
she smiled, recognizing Spinel. "Spinel-san, it's very good to see you," she greeted him.  
"I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to talk to you much tonight." Excluding dinner, she  
had mostly gone into hiding right after her brief encounter with Eriol.  
  
The dark blue sun guardian smiled up at her, which was nice to see, since Spinel didn't  
smile very often. "It's wonderful to see you as well, Tomoyo-sama," he replied. "May I  
ask what's wrong tonight, on what should be the happiest night of the year for you?"  
  
Tomoyo sighed; she supposed she could talk to Spinel. There wasn't anything wrong   
with that, was there?  
But she didn't even have to say anything, he brought it up himself. "It's Eriol-sama, isn't  
it?" he asked gently. At the sight of her widening eyes, he continued. "You're not ready  
to see him after all these years, are you?"  
  
Tomoyo shook her head, tears threatening to build. "I really missed him, though," she  
whispered. "I thought that it was just a silly fantasy of mine to believe that he was  
actually coming back, and that I knew he wouldn't...and suddenly he's here, and I  
can't stand to face him!" The last part came out as a half-wail. "And I missed him.."  
  
Spinel listened patiently, and when she was done, spoke up again. "Tomoyo-sama, I'm  
not much on human emotions," he began. "Ruby Moon's mostly the expert on that, but  
I was created to understand Master Eriol better than anyone..and I've made a few  
observations over the last eight years. I know you've been hurt a lot, but trust me, it  
wasn't just you. Eriol missed you a lot also, sometimes it was just awful.."  
  
"Then why didn't he just come back?" she demanded.  
"I believe you should ask him that yourself," Spinel responded easily. "The second   
observation I've made, since eight years ago...I'm no longer the only one who under-  
stands Eriol-sama best of all, Tomoyo-sama." And he smiled.  
  
Tomoyo looked at him in confusion. "Why did you just call me 'Tomoyo-sama?" she asked   
curiously.  
Spinel's smile became secretive. "I have my reasons," was all he said. "But Tomoyo-sama,  
you really must believe..Eriol--"  
  
"--Missed you more," came a new voice from directly in front of her; the two shot up   
their heads to see Eriol suddenly sitting before them. How he had gotten there without  
them knowing was a complete mystery on its own.   
  
Both Eriol and his small guardian saw the slightly frightened look which flashed across   
Tomoyo's face, no matter how brief it was.  
  
Eriol was about to say something when he was rudely interrupted by another scream.  
The three looked up at the blur that was Touya and Yukito, speeding toward the  
elevator. A moment after the doors slid shut, carrying the two men up to a higher level,  
Nakuru flew into view, took a quick glance at the elevator, and then lit off for the stairs,  
leaving the three in the lounge sweatdropping.  
  
Eriol glanced down at his dark blue guardian. "Spinel, could you please go and calm her  
down?" he asked. "I already tried, but it didn't work -- maybe if you threaten to shred  
her clothes again..."  
  
Spinel obediently took off after the light-chocolate haired guardian, and left the two  
dark haired people alone in the finally-quiet lounge. Slowly, Tomoyo bravely forced her  
eyes up to meet Eriol's, which were already trained on her intensely.   
  
They stared at each other for a moment, Tomoyo got trapped in his eyes just like before,   
and wanted to cry...this _wasn't_ fair!  
  
He held out a hand to her, getting to his feet. "Will you come with me for a minute?" he  
asked her softly, though insistently. Tomoyo couldn't have refused even if she tried to.  
Hesitantly, she took his hand and he led her outside. The two walked down the dark   
street of Nice, not saying anything. Tomoyo finally summoned all of her courage to at  
least make a little bit of conversation. "Where are you staying, Hiiragizawa-san?" she  
asked politely.  
  
He looked back at her with an expression of faint amusement. "Such formality, Ms.   
Tomoyo," he mentioned.  
Tomoyo took a sharp intake of breath at the familiar name, and the familiar emotions it  
invoked in her. She tried to just ignore it, waiting for his reply to her question.  
  
"I'm at the Chauvain," he told her. "That's really where we're going -- my room has a  
nice view of this part of the Riviera, as well as the Mediterranean."  
Tomoyo bit her lip and nodded. "I would like to see that," she said. "The sea is very  
pretty at night."  
  
The hotel was really just down the street from her own. Eriol's room was on the   
eighteenth floor; upon reaching it, Tomoyo waited patiently while he opened the door,  
and then led her inside. She went over to the window deftly -- the sooner she got this  
over with, the sooner she could leave, and the safer she would be.  
  
She gasped faintly at the sight of the lights of Nice glistening on the clear waters of  
the Mediterranean. "You're right, Eriol-san," she said in awe. "It is such a gorgeous view.  
You're very lucky."  
  
Eriol smiled a bit as he came up next to her. "Yeah," he murmured. "Very lucky."  
Glancing at him in the room only lit by moonlight, she couldn't help comparing his eyes  
to the sea...same colour, she mused. She had never doubted it. He was still incredibly  
beautiful, it drove her nuts wondering what he might have been doing in England.   
  
He then turned to her, as if sensing her thoughts -- or perhaps reading them. He never  
listened to her. "Tomoyo, I think we need to talk."  
Now they were entering dangerous territory. Tomoyo quickly backed away from the  
window and headed for the door. "Eriol-san, I really must be getting back -- Mother  
and Sakura-chan will wonder where I've gone."  
  
But he was suddenly in front of her, between herself and the door, leaning back against  
it and effectively blocking her escape. "Relax Ms. Tomoyo, you'll go back soon...we just  
have to talk, that's all." A smirk was playing across his features, and Tomoyo frowned at  
him.  
  
"You seem to have a real obssession with kidnapping me," she snapped. "What do you   
want from me, anyway? Just hurry up and say what you have to say, and then let me   
go -- please." Politeness to the end.  
He met her eyes squarely, a boyish look in them. "I missed you."  
  
The words went straight to the core of her heart, and that irritated her -- although it  
certainly didn't show as irritation. Tears threatened to spring to her mauve eyes again,  
and she took a step backward. "You're the one who left," she whispered.  
  
"I had to," he said quietly.  
"Why?" she asked, anger managing to slide faintly into her tone. "And don't tell me it was  
because of 'business'."  
He smirked again. "Actually, that really -is- half the reason," he told her smoothly. "I've  
had to tour much of the Eastern Hemisphere over the past eight years." He suddenly  
became serious. "But the other half..was you."  
  
"Oh, so now it's my fault?" she demanded, injured.  
He shrugged. "Well, maybe it was partly my fault too," he said. "For falling in love with  
you."  
She stared at him. "But I already knew that," she said quietly. "You told me." She paused.  
"And I..." she then trailed off in faint realization.  
  
He nodded slowly, eyes never leaving her. "You didn't say anything, because you weren't  
sure," he told her gently. "I knew how you felt, I figured out after a while. But you  
didn't know..and I --my presence-- was making you confused, and it wasn't fair. You had   
to figure it out for yourself eventually."  
  
"But why did you have to do it so...harshly?" she wanted to know, still angry. "You left so  
suddenly, and you hardly wrote-- that hurt a lot. It almost killed me -- the first few years   
were awful.." Her voice broke, and she sighed. "...You didn't know, because you weren't   
there."  
  
"Because you weren't ready, Tomoyo," he said calmly. "And I still don't think you're  
ready even now...I don't think you know just how you feel."  
She glared at him in defiance. "I know _exactly_ how I feel about you, Hiiragizawa Eriol,"   
she shot back.  
  
He raised an eyebrow, still incredibly calm. "Oh? How do you feel about me, Tomoyo?" he  
asked her bluntly. "Tell me just how you feel about me, right now." He paused. "And  
what about Sakura-san?" he asked, just above a whisper.  
  
Tomoyo opened her mouth, but nothing came out as her mind drew a blank. How -did-  
she feel about him? And how on earth was it that he'd come to mean more to her than  
Sakura-chan? To her surprise, she realized that she didn't even know herself.   
Shoot, she hated to admit it, but he was right. This was so confusing..  
  
The placid look on Eriol's face disintegrated into faint pain as he saw the confused tears   
streaming down Tomoyo's face. Coming closer, he trailed a finger down her cheek and   
wiped away the tears in the process, feeling her shudder a bit beneath his touch, and   
had to smirk again. He didn't say a word.  
  
She gave him a skeptical look, and he raised an eyebrow innocently. Still not a word  
was spoken, until a tentative smile touched her face. He was here in front of her, no  
doubt -- maybe everything would be alright again for sure.  
"So are you here..for good?" she dared to ask, very hesitantly. "Or are you going to leave   
again, soon? After all, we're not exactly in Japan..were you just here on a 'business'   
trip?"  
  
She heard him laugh a bit, before he was suddenly at her back, trailing faint patterns  
lightly on her bare arms with his fingers. Tomoyo shuddered again at his touch; a pleasant   
tremble.  
  
"Well," he began conversationally. "About two months ago, I finished my business. The  
moment I did, I had already begun packing, fully ready to head right back to Tomoeda..  
when I got a sudden phone call, from a certain Daidouji Sonomi, reminding me that it  
was your birthday soon, and that she had something quite special in mind.." he smirked.  
"Your mother is very good at hatching such schemes..I finally see where you get it  
from. And Nakuru was most adamant in wanting to see the French Riviera."  
  
Tomoyo turned to face him, eyes naughtily hopeful. "So...you're here to stay?" she asked,  
barely above a whisper.   
He gave her a gentle smile. "I'm here for forever," he promised solemnly, before his  
smile turned the slightest bit wicked. "Or at least, as long as you want me," he added,  
evil innocence shining in his eyes. "Do you want me, Ms. Tomoyo?"  
  
"Eriol-san," she said warningly. "You're cheating again--" But her eyes widening slightly   
and she fell into silence as Eriol pulled her down to sit next to him on the bed, pressing a   
finger against her mouth to quiet her.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat as she met those liquid sapphire orbs again...almost too  
fast for her comprehension, he had suddenly captured her lips into a real kiss. Tomoyo  
froze, completely losing her ability to do much else except register what she was feeling.  
  
Despite his persistency, there was a gentle question in the kiss: Is this okay?  
She would have pulled away...if she hadn't already been lost, drowning in a sea of   
blissful emotions and not minding it at all. It was better than fireworks, better than...  
anything and everything. It was indescribable; she had lost control over any rational   
thought long ago. Somehow, she wasn't surprised -- she'd half-expected this from him  
from the moment he'd led her into his hotel room.  
  
So in response...Tomoyo simply deepened the kiss admirably, drawing a bit of surprise  
from Eriol...of course, he had no problem in retaliating quickly, cupping his hands around  
her delicate face. Pure bliss melted into true passion as the Mediterranean moonlight  
poured in through the open window and casting an ethereal shine onto them.  
  
"So, Tomoyo? Are you going to say it?" he persisted.  
Tomoyo tried to think -- it was like wading through an undercurrent in the ocean. "I..  
don't know what it is you want..." she managed.  
  
Eriol's mouth began to trail down her neck, leaving a blazing trail of passion in its  
wake, as well as Tomoyo's breath ragged. He stopped on a sensitive spot right near her  
throat; Tomoyo whimpered a tiny moan, of the worst torture: pleasurable torture, and  
in response, dug her hands even more tightly through his night blue hair, as she kissed  
one of his own sensitive spots behind his earlobe. Her heart was alternately fluttering  
and stopping, drawing different reactions to every little thing he did to her.  
  
"Do you know what it is you're feeling? What you feel for me?"  
"I.." was as far as she got.  
  
A cool breeze floated in through the window, probably carried up from the sea, and  
seemed to mix with Eriol, both caressing her skin. Eriol, somewhere between her neck  
and her chest, felt her tremble for the umpteenth time, and he chuckled; the sound was  
terribly seductive.  
  
"Tomoyo? ...I don't think you have to answer my question anymore," he murmured  
teasingly, his hands running gently down the smooth curve between Tomoyo's neck  
and shoulders, taking the straps of her party dress with him. Her neck seemed even  
more elegantly long and unreal, shining enticingly with the mixture of pale skin and  
soft moonlight, making her seem like an enchanted dream. "You know. But I still want to   
hear you say it."  
  
Through the pleasant haze in her mind, Tomoyo was still able to register that he had  
spoken, and that she knew what he was speaking about. But she didn't really care,  
taking a sharp intake of breath as Eriol began caressing her with his mouth again; she  
simply held him tighter, kissing down the side of his neck too. His shirt was in the way  
though. "Eriol.." she whimpered.  
  
Her elegant Vienna dress had somehow managed to come partway off; he forgot about  
it momentarily as he began pulling the ever-so-carefully-placed pins out of her violet  
midnight hair, watching in awed admiration as the glossy coils came tumbling free,  
cascading down her back. Like a most divine being...his own personal goddess. He began   
running his fingers through the almost satin-like tresses; against his chest. Tomoyo's   
spine arched stiffly momentarily as he was also stroking her back. Her own hands were   
tentatively exploring his surreally pale chest, having undone one of his shirt buttons. He   
really was beautiful...  
  
"You know what you're feeling," he said in a whisper, still trailing shock-inducing fingers   
through the violet-raven hair. "I know it too. And Tomoyo, you don't have to ever worry   
again, because I'll love you forever...now you've just got to say it though."  
Tomoyo kissed the area between his shoulder blades slowly, murmuring, "I...can't.."  
  
"Yes you can," Eriol agreed quietly, now running his fingers up and down her spine.   
Tomoyo shivered in evil pleasure, her back arching yet again. Yes, this was evil...Li-kun   
had been onto something with his opinions about the two of them. She moaned slightly   
again as she dug clear oval fingernails into his back, trying to be careful not to hurt him.  
  
Eriol felt her shudder again as he went back to her weak spot on her throat. "Tomoyo.."   
he began, pulling back with effort to look in her luminous mauve eyes, gone a  
bit darker in colour. Feeling the intense gaze on her, Tomoyo really had no choice but to   
look back up in his own eyes, which had always been somewhat dark and laced with  
various other undecipherable colours, but were now nearly darker than the night and  
threaded with flashing emotions..passion, desire, need...and Tomoyo could also make  
out utter devotion.  
  
"Eriol." Her voice was the softest whisper of a musical bell.  
"Yes, Tomoyo-tenshi?"  
She paused, her breath catching again. "Why did you call me that, Eriol?" she asked.  
He smiled against the ivory curve of her shoulder. "Because you're my angel, Tomoyo-  
sama."  
Tomoyo closed her eyes, and gave in to his will and to her heart. "I should have told  
you long ago. I love you," she finally said, the words he'd been pressuring to hear for the   
entire evening, and what felt like much longer. "And I missed you most."  
  
He capturing her lips with his against the dark blue cloak of the night.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The sun was beginning to rise high over the French city of Nice when Hiiragizawa  
Eriol opened his eyes the next morning. First thing he noticed was that he was in a hotel  
room; he knew this instantly, since he was so used to being in them.  
  
But the next thing he noticed was that the scent of lavender and vanilla was filling his  
nose. He frowned slightly; this wasn't ordinary. Although the scent was heavenly, and  
one he dreamt about almost each night.  
  
The third thing he noticed was that he wasn't alone; another warm body was pressed  
up against him, which led into the fourth thing he noticed -- he wasn't wearing anything.  
Uh oh..  
  
He relaxed slightly when he opened his eyes, squinting slightly in the bright sunlight.  
His arm was entangled in an impossibly soft tangle of violet tresses; it was the face of  
an angel that greeted him instantly. Tomoyo...  
  
She was still asleep.  
  
For a moment, Eriol forgot completely that he had just spent the night with Tomoyo. It  
didn't matter; if he had his way, he'd be spending a lot more nights like this with her.  
He would love to wake up like this every morning, her face being the first thing he saw  
every day.  
  
How had he ever existed without her..?  
  
A soft smile touched his face as he gently brushed a lock of hair out of Tomoyo's sleeping  
face, tucking it behind her ear, all the while being extremely careful not to wake her.  
Yes, I definetly wouldn't mind waking up like this every morning, he thought, content  
with just tenderly watching her sleep. He could stay like this forever.  
  
He thought back to last night; maybe he HAD moved a bit quickly..he seemed to have  
a tendency to do so, but..this was real. This was forever, Eriol knew it because it came  
from his heart -- very few things managed to make his heart speak out to him.  
  
And he would make it forever.  
  
Tomoyo began to stir faintly; suddenly, he was feeling some sort of subconscious  
hesitation, and understood it instantly. He smiled. "It wasn't all a dream, Ms. Tomoyo."  
  
Her eyes opened slowly, revealing the liquid amethyst, before immediately squinting as   
she rubbed her eyes. "Damn..."  
  
Eriol's eyes widened instantly in shock. "Ms. Tomoyo, such language!" he chided, trying  
to hold back a laugh.  
Tomoyo seemed confused for a minute upon hearing his voice next to her. Her eyes  
shot open again. "What are you doing here?" she demanded in surprise, before suddenly  
noticing where she was. She smiled sheepishly at him. "Oh yeah...last night." Her eyes  
suddenly flashed with indignance. "You seduced me! I can't believe I let you--"  
  
Eriol kissed her, effectively silencing her. "Yes, I seduced you last night," he told her,   
matter-of-factly and a little sardonically. "But I seem to recall the fact that it takes  
two...and you definetly didn't mind being the other half."  
Tomoyo covered her face, more than a little embarrased. "Eri-OL," she groaned. "Li-kun  
was right. We _are_ evil together."  
  
He chuckled. "Hey, it's a compliment," he reassured her.  
"Given by the devil's advocate himself," she muttered, her voice a bit muffled. Then,  
lowering her hands, she smiled at him; if there was something he loved more than her  
spirit, it was definetly the way she smiled...especially at him. Because it was a real smile,  
not a carefully placed mask anymore.  
  
"Mother is going to kill me," she said ruefully. "This was truly awful of me...I was supposed  
to wait until marriage to do this." She sat up, a guilty, worried expression on her face.  
  
Well, since SHE was the one who'd brought up the subject... He sat up as well, facing  
to her with a slightly mischevious smile. "So then what's the problem?" he asked  
innocently.  
  
She turned to him with a frown. "I'm. Not. Married," she pronounced slowly, burying her  
face in her hands again, finally beginning to stress out, although she didn't regret the  
past night in the least. "Oh, Mother will be so disappointed in me, and Sakura-chan too..  
even she and Li-kun were able to wait until they got married."  
  
Eriol had to snicker at that, though he really did try to hold it back. "That's what they  
want you to think," he muttered; Tomoyo gave him an annoyed look, to which he replied  
with a completely innocent smile. "I still don't see what the problem is," he told her.  
  
"Doesn't this bother you in the least?" she demanded. "Neither of us are married--"  
"Well then, why don't we remedy that little problem?" he asked her with a taunting smile.  
Tomoyo was about to continue with her minor rant, before what he'd just said hit her  
with full magnitude. Her heart jumped and she stared at him dumbly, before sighing.  
"Ha, ha, very funny Hiiragizawa," she said in annoyance, actually feeling a bit hurt that  
he could actually joke about this..  
  
"I'm glad you thought it so amusing, although it's not meant to be," Eriol replied,  
flourishing his hand. Tomoyo's eyes went wide as a small case magically appeared in his  
hand; they went even larger as the lid snapped back to reveal a large, shimmering  
diamond ring. "Because I'm serious," he finished.  
  
Tomoyo blinked slowly, still in shock, before remembering that he had magic powers..  
a frown crossed her face. "Eriol-kun, I won't have you thinking that you have to marry  
me just because of one night -- it's really okay. I won't tell anyone about it, and--"  
  
She was silenced as he tilted her head up, forcing her to look straight up at him.   
Cerulean met amethyst. "I'm serious," Eriol told her, not an ounce of sarcasm or teasing  
in his tone, his gaze never wavering from her. "I would never joke about this. Because  
this wasn't just a one time thing for me...I've been planning this for a while now. And I  
bought this a while ago. I hope it wasn't just a fling for you either..'cause I love you."  
  
Tomoyo's eyes were huge, and at that last line, tears began prickling at the edges.  
"So will you?" he asked, actually sounding a bit tentative.  
She flung her arms around him, holding him tight as the tears spilled over. "There is  
nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you, Eriol," she whispered,  
feeling his own arms around her -- she pulled back with a faint laugh, wiping away her  
tears. "I was terrified you were kidding for a moment."  
  
"I told you, Mademoiselle Tomoyo," he replied with his own happy smile, making him seem  
like a child. He brushed away one of her tears before kissing her nose gently. "I would   
never kid about this." He suddenly chuckled. "So _can_ I take you to Venice now?" he  
asked innocently.   
  
Her smile lit her face. "You remember," she said happily, before pretending to consider,  
going along with the old game. "How about Milan?"   
"Siscily's a beautiful place, also," he suggested.  
  
She held him close to her. "Anywhere," she whispered, kissing him once more. "Just as   
long as I'm with you."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~FIN (for real)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Warned you, didn't I? Very fluffy at the end...*sighs* -_-* I also said I'm not that  
great at epilogues, either, as I recall...but I think this was actually good compared  
to some of my others. And this officially completes 'Tale as Old as Time'.....weird.  
I don't even know how to feel ^^* But one thing I DO know is that I'll never be  
able to stop thanking you people enough, everyone who read, everyone who   
reviewed, everyone who emailed....ahh! Now you've gone and made me want to  
write another fic! =p And I will, just as soon as I get a good idea. But all of you  
people who read this are gods...I love you all so much, and I'll NEVER stop thanking  
you all! Thanks soooo much!!  
  
  
~Starchick  
  
  
  
P.S. - I still would like to get emails/comments, etc. on this...or just email me for  
fun at starviewcom@hotmail.com, I'd love to talk. Also email for questions  
or anything, especially about those various cultural references...and once   
again, thank you! 


End file.
